Just A Game
by Rauslly-R5-lover
Summary: When the realistic lawyer Ally Dawson meets her optimistic counterpart Austin Moon, who never tends to take anything seriously, on a deserted island, the two form a quick disliking for each other. They notice, however, that they need each other to survive. 'Surviving' meaning 'not getting sent home by the audience'. Because it's all just a game. Welcome to Expedition Robinson.
1. Chapter 1

**Yea yea I'm an hour later than I used to update, sue me**

 **I mean HEY! :)**

 **Yes, it's me, risen from the ashes. Back with something BRAND NEW and FLUFFY and AUSLLY and YAY**

 **This was honestly the least requested story to write first when I asked y'all and, no, I didn't pick this one to be like** _ **I wanna be DIFFERENT and PROVE MYSELF**_ **nah the ideas for this one just hit me across the face and I just HAD to write it down. Worked on it for a few months and I've almost finished it. Juicy chapters of (mostly) over 2000 words, weekly updates (sunday 10pm Amsterdam time) shall be delivered to your inboxes. If you decide you like where it's going, at least.**

 **The first chapter is very explanatory and I know it might get boring, but it's important you guys understand how everything works. If you'd just give it a chance, I'd be very grateful :)**

 **Enjoy the very first chapter of my new creation: Just A Game.**

* * *

She hated games. No, she absolutely _despised_ games. If Ally Dawson had to choose between shoving her face in a plate full of cheese, which made her retch, or play a friendly game of monopoly with at least two other overly competitive adults, she would happily lick the plate clean. Which surprises people when she mentions it, figuring her job is practically a well prepared game between two players who have to make the other person's client look as bad as possible in front of a judge. But, honestly, being a lawyer was her dream job, despite the characteristics it shared with playing games.

There was one crucial difference between the two, though. You see, when playing a simple game, victory has little to do with skills or preparation. No, it has everything to do with simple luck. Sure, it would help if you're the slightest bit clever when you're playing cards, but you can't win with a horrible hand, no matter how bright you are. And if there was anything Ally hated more than games, it was luck. The four letter word was something millions of people used every day to validate events. But she didn't believe any of that crap. The only luck that you come across is the luck you worked for. And she did.

And her job was something that had nothing to do with luck. She was one of the best young lawyers in the country and that was only because of the two things that winning games didn't require; skills and preparation. Also her stubbornness, talent for doing research and merciless attitude helped when she defended her client from some accusation that some awful ex husband had made up. Her field was family law, divorce and child custody in specific and she was _good_ at it. Long story short, she loved her job and she hated games.

Which is why she had to do a double take when her brother gave her an encouraging answer when she told him the laughable story of how the people of the TV show _Expedition Robinson_ asked her to participate.

"Why not? You're competitive, you're sneaky," he starts counting on his fingers, resulting into an empty take out container being thrown at his head. "Aren't those basically all the requirements for winning the stupid game?"

Ally huffs, pulling her sleeves over her hands as she makes herself comfortable on her brother's couch. "Hunter, the only two words that made sense in that speech were 'stupid game', which is also the only reason I need to _not_ be a part of the show."

"There's more to it than just the game. You'll earn so much respect if you even attempt to win. People who get far in this show really make a name for themselves. This could work out for you," Hunter puts down his Thai take out to take a sip from his water bottle. "Think about it."

And she did. For just a second before her typically lawyer mind gave her tons of usable arguments. "Why would I need respect, I'm a lawyer, remember? Besides, I would have no chance of winning whatsoever."

"It's not all muscle, Ally," her brother contradicts. "I think you'd actually stand a chance."

" _I_ think you just want to be on TV, little one," she laughs when she finally sees through his seemingly innocent supportive talk. Her three year younger brother differed from her in the way he loved being in the spotlight, his plan to break through as an actor portraying that perfectly.

"It's a good opportunity for the world to get used to my face on TV," he shrugs before grinning. "And, as far as I know, the guys that participate are usually super hot." Ally gives him a look in which Hunter rolls his eyes. "What? It's a pretty addictive show."

"Those hot guys are also usually cocky dickheads. And since when are you worried about my love life?"

"Sis, if you keep only focussing on work like this, I'm going to be finding a cute boy before you will," Hunter raises his eyebrows suggestively. "Maybe this experience is good for you. See it as a vacation."

"More like badly written play," she mumbles. For being 'stuck' on a deserted island, the girls often have suspiciously hairless armpits and legs. Who says the candidates that often complain about the lack of food weren't being fed with a nutritious dinner whenever the cameras turned off? "Fine, I'll think about it."

"Great! Make sure to warn me at least two weeks in advance. My hair always needs some time to get into model after a haircut," Hunter touches his brown hair gently, the minor adjustment probably making a big difference to him. Ally grins as she uses both hands to mess it up again.

* * *

As soon as she accepted the offer, her phone seemed to explode. She was used to some media attention, but she didn't seem to be the only one who was surprised to be a part of the show. While some called her shallow for being a part of the degrading production, others were pleasantly surprised to see a new side to the usually reversed young lawyer. Being only 22 years old, she would most definitely be one of the youngest of the island, but she figured keeping up the act of the shy girl would give her a decent shot. As far as she knew, standing out was a bad thing on the island.

Basically, twelve semi famous people get dropped on one of the deserted islands in the Philippines. Here, they have to 'survive' by finding enough food to stay alive and build a good enough shelter to hide from the merciless sun and sudden heavy weather. Though, their biggest concern is really the fact that every three days, one of them has to leave the island. This is where the viewers come in. As the show is fairly popular all around the country, lots of people have the chance to form an opinion on the group and the people individually. Through polls, the viewers can vote who they find most boring or annoying and has to leave the island. This way, the producers of the show give them a feeling the viewers are in control and keep the view ratings high. When there is no clear loser in a poll, the people on the island have to vote who they want to be out of the game. The person with the most votes, gets sent home.

To keep the show interesting, the players are divided into two teams that have to compete against the other in a different test every few days. Winning the test would result in achieving some valuable extras like extra votes or a well deserved spa day, but only once the candidates take the tests individually as the end approaches. The two teams live on different parts of the island, so, while the people at home see both of the groups on TV, the two teams have no contact apart from the tests. This makes them completely clueless about the change in formation the other team might undergo, caused by people sent home. Eventually, both teams will get smaller and smaller until only half of all candidates is left. This is when the two teams get together and battle until the finale, which will be between the final three players. The smartest, most strategic and strongest candidate will be crowned 'Robinson 2017'.

As the candidates are stuck with each other, pacts are a big part of the show. In secret or not, two or more players will sign an oral contract in which they promise to help each other whenever they can and vow not to vote each other out of the game if they get the chance. While most candidates will stay oblivious to their team mates agreements, the people at home will have front row seats and stay up to dates with the latest secrets of the island. This uncertainty creates extra tension that will obviously be exaggerated by the producers.

After months of media attention, Ally had finally packed her bags, better said _one_ bag, since that was all she could bring. At the instance of Hunter, Ally had spent a lot of time at the gym. Especially training her balance was her priority, knowing there was always at least one test revolving around it. Also getting in good shape would improve her chances of performing well at tests.

* * *

Ally was not told who the other candidates were and she would only find out on the island itself. After saying goodbye's to her family and a long flight, she was now sitting in a helicopter with two other candidates. Due to the headsets and the rushing, they hadn't had an opportunity to introduce themselves which was probably the intention of the producers. After a few minutes, they notice aircraft hanging still above the ocean with an island not too far away and hear the pilot tell them to remove their headsets and jump out of the helicopter. Exchanging nervous glances, they follow his instructions. It's just Ally's luck that she's the closest to the exit.

"You can do it, just close your eyes and let yourself fall," Ally hears the nice looking blonde girl yell at her over the deafening sound of the propellers. She must've seen the terror in Ally's eyes as she gives her a sympathetic smile. "I've done it before, it's not as scary as it seems."

Before Ally can think twice, she braces herself, closes her eyes and steps out. By replacing the sight of the deep ocean by literally anything else, she manages to calm down her fear of height and only two seconds later, she feels the water close around her. Swimming was something that she wasn't particular good at and honestly forgot to work at when preparing, something she cursed herself for now. As fast as she can, she rises to the surface to see the other two entering the water at a safe distance from her. Without words, they decide to make their way to the shore about a hundred feet in front of them.

Out of the three, Ally is clearly the slowest and when she eventually arrives at the beach, she shamefully finds out she is the last of the twelve to join the big group. Several cameras are pointed at them and one films her getting out of the ocean as a feeling of insecurity washes up on her. Awkwardly, she attaches herself to the circle of people. She finds out she has just missed the introduction round and the rest doesn't seem to think she's worth doing it all over again. As soon as they notice her presence, the casual talks are being replaced by a strategic discussion. Discussion as in, one particularly tall man starts giving orders.

"You guys should start building the shed," the dirty blonde points at three equally broad and fanatic looking men. "We need some to go on a hike to find some fruit and I guess the rest can go fish or something." He looks at the smaller, less intimidating people with an uninterested look in his eyes, Ally being one of them as she answers his look with narrowing eyes. As the group breaks away to start their assigned task, Ally keeps her hands on her hips as she can't help rolling her eyes.

"You know, if you meant to do that discreetly, you need a lot of work." She didn't mean for him to see, but she doesn't back away now, staying silent as he smirks down at her. She gets the strange feeling she knows the guy, but she can't quite put her finger on it.

"Who says it wasn't meant for you to see?" She lies.

"Any reason why you dislike me, princess?" Crossing his arms in front of his chest, he doesn't plan on leaving her alone anytime soon.

"I don't need a reason to despise someone," she spits at him, making the nameless man chuckle.

"Catty," he observes. "Well, I advise you to get used to me, since you'll be seeing this face until you leave this island. And, trust me," he lets his eyes scan her body quickly without shame, forming his prediction she won't be much of a threat and her stay on the island will be very short. "that won't be long."

That is when she remembers where she has seen his face before; on an A4 sheet, in a file full of documents with every fact about him, in a small office sitting next to his ex wife as they were about to enter the courtroom. She didn't just know his name, she knew everything about him. Austin Moon, professional swimmer, divorcé, father, drug addict.

* * *

 **Lalalala let that just sink in and get back to me. Y'all know how to reach me, lemme know in the reviews below xx**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm back (one week too late)**

 **Sorry about that, my lovelies. I had an introduction week for my study and my Word subscription ended, so I can't write my story on my own laptop. Don't worry about it, though, I promise I won't happen again.**

 **Though, I should admit that I was also waiting for more people to notice my new story. It's quite noticeable that the show is over and a big part of the fandom has left (also the fanfic fandom). There are a lot of names that I used to see regularly, but now have disappeared. But that's okay, because there are also a lot of NEW names, which means new people that I can get to know. Thank you so much for all your enthusiastic reviews! I really enjoyed reading them :)**

 **This chapter will be the first out of many tests I'll describe. Not much Auslly yet, but you'll notice it's just the start of whatever's coming. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _She didn't just know his name, she knew everything about him. Austin Moon, professional swimmer, divorcé, father, drug addict._

"Prick," she whispers to herself as all the memories come flooding back. The realization drowns the look of disgust in her eyes.

"It's been a real pleasure, princess," Austin salutes her, ignoring her sudden change of attitude. Without giving her another glance, he makes his way to the others that are working on the hut, leaving Ally by herself, feeling a bit clueless and useless as the rest is busy with their tasks.

"I'm assuming you and Austin knew each other already." The same girl that sat beside her in the helicopter appears next to her with two rods in her hands. Offering one to Ally, she silently invites her to join her fishing.

Ally gives her a sincere smile. "We don't, actually," she admits as they take place on one of the flat boulders lying in the shallow part of the water. "At least, he doesn't know me." After the blonde girl gives her a confused look, Ally decides she trusts her enough to tell her the details. Besides, this could be her first chance of an actual friend on this island. "I once had to fight for custody for his ex-wife. The asshole didn't even show up to try and defend himself."

She decides to keep the whole drugs situation to herself. Beside the fact that she could get fired for telling not only the nice girl, but also spilling Austin's private information to the viewers, it wouldn't feel fair against Austin, no matter how much she hated him. "I won, though. Obviously," she chuckles proudly.

"And he doesn't know it was you," she states in disbelief, in which Ally shakes her head. "Are you planning on ever telling him?"

"Maybe somewhere in the future." Ally shrugs before showing her a confident smile. "After I send his ass off this island."

"I'd be glad to help you with that," the girl giggles, being convinced of Austin's horrible attitude, and finally introduces herself. "I'm Rachel."

"Ally." After formally shaking hands, they turn their attention back to improvised floats on the surface of the water.

"We're going to be in the finale together," Rachel suddenly speaks after a few moments of silence. "I can feel it."

A smile grows on Ally's face. "I'd love that." The two spend some time catching up and actually somehow catching a small fish or two. Ally finds out Rachel is a travel writer in continents like Africa and Indonesia, something that gave her somewhat advantage over being used to humid and hot weather. Rachel gives Ally all the information Ally missed out on when the group met for the first time and Ally shares her knowledge about specific fruits that are extra nutritious, something she had spent time on doing research on a few weeks before her departure. Without too much words, the girls promise they will look out for each other and share important observations about the other candidates.

And that's how Ally made her first pact.

* * *

After a few hours-or so they thought, since there was no way of telling the time-the group got picked up by a boat and taken to another island where some kind of obstacle course was set out for them. Once they arrived, the show host Ally had spoken to numerous of times in preparation of the show is waiting for them. The large group assembles itself in front of him.

"Welcome candidates. This first test will give you an impression of the skills you need to possess to survive on the island," gesturing to the playfield next to him, he starts explaining the parkour. "You will begin the race on a platform in front of the coast. After swimming to the shore, the first challenge is to make a fire, a very important task you need master better sooner than later. Once you manage to burn the string hanging over the pan, it will give you access to a torch that you need to light and bring with you. While holding the torch, you need to find your way over and under a few obstacles. At the end, all you need to do is solve a difficult math problem," the man easily walks them through their first test, the anxiety mixed with eagerness seen on everyone's faces. "Also, the individual choices you make in this test will determine the structure of the two teams."

Everyone takes a final look at the long course before a boat takes them to the floating platform. Ally takes a look at the people, as she hasn't talked to a lot of them yet. While silently making assumptions and estimating their professions and strengths, she catches the eyes of a particular smug looking young boy. While she wonders why he's staring at her, she notices his confident smirk as he compares his build with hers, obviously not impressed by her skinny arms and small figure.

That's when she recognizes him from some unprofessional broadcasting company. Drew _something_ , she can vaguely remember. The journalists from the station were known for being pushy and inappropriate when interviewing people. They usually stuck their noses in cases they had no knowledge of, making quick assumptions that put the person being interviewed in an uncomfortable position. Ally had had the pleasure numerous of times when she came out of the courthouse after finishing a case about a celebrity. His invasive questions and her sassy way of avoiding them created a mutual dislike for each other and, looking at him, he remembers her as well. She can already vow they won't be getting along on the island.

As they all climb off the boat, the twelve equally fanatic candidates slightly push their way forward to get the best place at the edge of the platform possible. Tinier girls like Ally and Rachel find themselves clinging onto each other to avoid falling off. Finally, they manage to find a spot somewhere on the side. Before they know it, the presenter counts down from ten. Ally braces herself to jump off, knowing her diving skills are probably more underdeveloped than anyone's here. Only a second before they can start, Ally sees Drew inch his way closer to her. Before she can comprehend what's going on, he places one hand on her back and gives her a firm push, making her unable to leap a far distance into the water.

The salty water enters her nose and mouth and when she finally reaches the surface, she's coughing up her lungs and probably looking like a lost seal. The whole incident has created a big distance between her and the rest, some had already even reached the shore, including, obviously, Austin. Knowing cameras are surrounding her and not wanting to look like the victim, she follows them in her best attempt of a breast crawl, imagining the embarrassment she must portray while pushing herself through the water.

Once she arrives at her wok, she realizes she might've had to practice this. Looking at the different types of wood, straw and a stick of magnesium, she tries to remember what her brother, a dedicated fan of the show, told her. Start out with the driest type, the straw, she reckons, and try to get sparks from the magnesium sticks. Rachel standing next to her gives her a sympathetic smile, probably having seen how she had been pushed, and nods her head at Drew and rolls her eyes mockingly. Ally giggles shortly before trying focussing on her fire. Letting her eyes roam, she tries to sneakily copy the other candidates. After trying to blow on the straw, she notices the dry wood starting to glow in some places. Shielding the wok from the wind, she keeps using the magnesium and blowing until, finally, a small flame arises.

Without her noticing, some candidates had already succeeded into freeing the torch and were now on their way to the obstacle course. Lucky for her, the flame was growing rapidly, a sign for her to start adding the bigger pieces of wood. Next to her, Rachel's fire is almost reaching the string as well. Drew was struggling with his, though, as the water dripping from his face and hair were constantly extinguishing the starting flames. His patience was running out, just like the strength he needed to keep striking the magnesium stick. With a content smile, Ally eventually burns through the piece of string at the same time as Hannah does too. They both light their torch and, as they run to the next part, Hannah runs a little bit too close to Drew, her feet scooping up maybe a bit more sand than usual which lands in his wok.

"Sorry!" She blinks innocently as she puts out his umpteenth tiny flame before running along with Ally, leaving him and only two more struggling players. Holding the torch shielded from the wind, they storm over the obstacles as fast as their small bodies with minimal muscle would allow them to. Finally, they arrive at the last part where they discover only a few candidates had been able to solve the puzzle. Placing their torch in the holder, they study the problem. A classic high school sum was displayed on a big black board, something with a lot of multiplies, x's and even some long divisions. Ally was luckily quite decent at math, but the fact that they couldn't use a sheet to write their steps down made it very tricky.

"Fuck, my math game is off," Rachel mutters under her breath, making Ally laugh before she starts fully focussing on solving the problem. In a matter of minutes, after she had checked her answer twice and is sure she has the right code, she walks to her chest and effortlessly opens it. Inside, she sees two objects and looks at the presenter standing in front of her.

"You can choose only one," he tells her, in which she takes another look inside the chest. One is a vessel full off rolled up pieces of papers, obviously a bunch of extra votes she could use in an island selection, with a blue piece of cloth wrapped around it. The other option is a small pot of rice, something that could help the whole team when food would run out, with a likewise ribbon attached to the lid, only in red. "Untie the ribbon of the object of your choice and keep it hidden for the other players, so they don't base their decision on the assembly of the teams. Make sure only I can see the colour."

This early in the game, she had to make the decision between being a help for the whole team or an individual security for in the future. Shaking her head to get rid of the accusatory thoughts, she grabs the ribbon that was her first choice, puts it in the small of her fist so the colour is hidden from the others' eyes and crosses the finish line. That's where she sees a lot of other candidates had already finished in front of her, which wasn't a surprise since she hadn't been the fastest in the water nor on the obstacle course. Standing next to mostly the muscular guys who had probably struggled most with the math problems, she lets the fabric show behind her back for the host to see.

Rachel is still in war with the sum and it doesn't seem like she's progressing. With every second, the clear difficulty she has with solving the problem becomes more obvious. While Ally had been busy choosing a ribbon, Drew had arrived. At this point, Rachel seemed to have given up on her brain and started praying to every god she could think of. She had already ran to her chest to try numerous options, but the lock stubbornly objected every time.

Rachel, Drew and one other candidate were the last in the race, judged by the eyes of the others. Ally didn't have a clue what other colours the rest had chosen, but she now realized only six could pick the same colour, figuring the teams must have an identical number of candidates. Rachel makes another attempt, all hope now left her tired eyes, and it takes everyone by surprise when the chest opens. She quickly chooses a ribbon and joins the rest, receiving a proud wink of Ally. That's when the presenter speaks up.

"Drew and Hayley, please come forward and open your chests," he says and writes the solution on the board. With slightly red cheeks of shame, they follow his instructions. "As the blue team is full, please grab the red ribbon. Because you were the last two, you lose your prize. The rest of the candidates may now reveal what team they have chosen."

The players let the ribbon hang from one hand in front of them while looking around, sending smiles at their team mates. Ally squeals as she sees Rachel holding a blue ribbon as well, hugging her tightly. They had both chosen themselves over the team, something others might call selfish, but they knew they would be able to protect themselves and others with the extra votes, since no one had mentioned they couldn't let someone else use the votes. Naturally, the two teams gather up and exchange congratulating looks, already making Ally feel more welcome than when she arrived at the beach for the first time.

Everyone starts tying the ribbon to their clothes or around their wrists, knowing this colour was now their home, at least as long as they were on the island. Studying the faces of her teammates and trying to remember their names, she notices one pair of particularly mischievous hazel eyes looking her way, almost hidden behind still damp dirty blonde hair, paired with a smirk.

"Look at that, princess. What are the odds?" Austin chuckles as he ties the blue fabric around one of his belt loops. "Good to see you still have a bit of common sense in that head of yours."

* * *

 **Hope that was clear enough to understand!**

 **One small favour I'm asking you readers and reviewers; if you want, could you maybe tell me what you'd like to see me change, regarding my writing style? For example longer/shorter paragraphs, more/less descriptive details, more/less variety in my word choice, things like that. You'd help me a bunch and it will make the story easier to read, as I'll adapt to your preferences :)**

 **I will see you again next sunday 10pm my time (I swear)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A new chapter, we're picking up the pace with this one. Prepare for some nice frenemy Auslly interaction**

* * *

The big boat was now replaced by two smaller ones, really emphasizing the fact that the two groups were nothing more than opponents. And, indeed, after gliding next to each other for a while, the two boats parted ways to bring the groups to opposite sides of their home island. Luckily, the blue team arrived at the camp where they all started, the hut some had started building still looking strong.

Completely exhausted, the candidates decide to make a fire to have a quick meal before going to bed. As a few took care of the fire and preparing the food, the rest finished building the sleeping area. After a lot of time spent on fitting everyone on the small platform of uncomfortably hard logs and accepting there was no such thing as 'a personal bubble' during the nights, everyone had a spot for their sleeping bags.

While the viewers didn't get to see it, the candidates really did get the opportunity to brush their teeth. And didn't anyone notice the suspiciously smooth armpits and legs of the girls? They got more opportunities to take care of themselves than the people at home knew, but it wasn't much, really. Sweet water, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and disposable razor blades was as far as luxury would go on the island. Besides an excuse for a toilet, of course. It was everything they needed, for now. As soon as they noticed someone starving or getting sick, Ally was sure they would help. 'Death In Popular Reality Show' as headline wasn't the best publicity the show could get, after all.

* * *

The next day, the group is free. This meant no test or selection and gave them a chance to construct the rest of the 'camp', explore the woods, collect some more food and, also not unimportant, get to know each other. This was the perfect opportunity for everyone to decide who they could trust and who they wanted to form a pact with. Though, because most did this in secret, only the viewers could see what connections were formed. Ally established she was more than content with her single pact and happily tagged along with Rachel, deciding that was the only friend she needed on the island. This created some distance between the duo and the rest of the team, something Ally didn't really couldn't care less about.

Something the cameras picked up on, but Ally failed to, was that Austin kept a close eye on her from a safe distance. Not only he, but also the viewers and the other candidates noticed her choice of isolation and formed their own opinions about her and the other almost invisible girl. While some were curious, but not curious enough to make an effort to get between the two young women, other decided they were an easy target once they had to vote someone off the island. Logically, a duo seems strong until half of it disappears.

* * *

The day after, the first group versus group test was planned. Sadly, this one required less brains and more muscle and being in good shape. The only thing the team needed to do to be safe as a whole was winning collectively, therefore there was no real mutual competition. That didn't take away the obvious fact that Ally was struggling more than anyone of the team to keep up. In contrast, Austin was the one who conquered every obstacle the quickest and easiest. After fighting under the merciless sun, sweat covering all of their bodies, the blue team eventually succeeded in beating the red team. Knowing the viewers might choose to vote Drew off the island added to Ally's feeling of absolute glory as she cheered with the rest.

Even though they all decided not to rush through the supply of rice they had received at the start, they cooked a little extra to celebrate their first victory. During the dinner, Ally notices Austin's studying eyes on her for the first time. After shrugging it off and continuing her conversation with Rachel, she feels the stare on her again after only a few minutes. After raising one eyebrow, silently asking what the hell he wants, he diverts his eyes. She had been trying to keep her distance from him because, beside the fact that she still despised his attitude and everything about him, she didn't feel comfortable with the amount of information about him that was permanently stored in her brain. If she would talk to him or anyone _about_ him, she might accidently use that information against him.

Once they all had finished their dinner, everyone started going their separate ways. This was usually the time when the cameramen invited every candidate to talk about the day, so they could use it as voice overs in the show. The time that Rachel wasn't in Ally's presence was rare and Ally hadn't been sitting alone for a minute before she heard the familiar deep voice that belonged to Austin.

"Hey, princess," he calls her once he had made sure the rest was more or less occupied, at least distracted enough to not pay attention to either of the two. While most of the cameras were busy with the interviews, one recognized the situation that could become somewhat interesting and focussed on Austin as he leaned against one of the palm trees, observing Ally sitting on one of the logs near the campfire.

"What did I ever do to deserve that name?" Ally rolls her eyes as she turns around to be able to look at him. Austin looks around one more time before nodding his head to the side, signalling her to come with him.

"I actually thought you were quite fond of it, figuring you responded to it just now," he continues before Ally sighs annoyed.

"Just get to the point." She knew he didn't call her over and separated them from the group for nothing. It was clear that whatever he was about to tell her would benefit her and she was curious enough to find out what it was.

Austin takes one step towards her and keeps his voice low, probably still paranoid anyone might hear them. "You need me."

"Excuse me?" She answers a little louder than planned, stunned by his sudden actions and one particularly unusual accusation. He shushes her in which she steps back when she realizes how much he's violating her personal space.

"You're weak, one of the weakest of the group." Ignoring her look of disgust and shock, he makes himself more clear. "Also boring, inconspicuous and ordinary."

"Is this going anywhere?" Ally interrupts him before he could lower her self esteem any more.

"Look, you need me to survive here." Convinced of his own superiority, he points at himself. While he keeps trying to let her listen to him, she wonders why he would even bother and what's in it for him. "If you don't learn to stand out, the people at home will grow tired of you and outvote you first chance they get."

Ally stays silent for a moment, recognizing the truth in his theory. "Well, you need me as well."

Austin scoffs. "In what way could I possibly need you?"

"You're a threat." Ally crosses her arms as she knows she has a point and looks at him smugly. "You might not notice, but people talk about you. If you keep showing off and winning tests, people might get intimidated. I think everyone would rather end up in the finale with someone less threatening." She knew she had a point, and she knew _he_ knew, too. If there was anything her brother had learned from watching the show for years, it was that frequently the first thing the candidates did when the pacts weren't too strong yet, was outvote the obviously strongest player.

It was Austin's turn to stay silent, thinking about her valid point. Exchanging stern looks, they keep standing on opposite of each other as the camera records everything before Austin breaks the silence. "I think we just made a pact."

"I guess we did," Ally nods while thinking about the advantages she could get out of this arrangement before realizing who she made the deal with. "I don't even like you."

"I guess you'll have to start learning how to, princess."

"I guess you'll have to start learning how to not be a prick." Ally gives him a fake smile before the corners of her mouth quickly fall again.

Austin chuckles amused. "I'll help you stand out."

"I don't need your help to act like someone I'm not just to win this stupid game," she narrows her eyes, completely forgetting that's not something the ideal candidate would say.

"What makes you think you're going to even have a shot at winning?" Austin doesn't try to hide his mocking amusement. "Have you even remotely noticed who you've been talking to for the past five minutes?"

"Nice going on not being a prick," Ally shakes her head, already starting to regret the decision to work with the guy. Ironic how she just agreed to share information with the person she knew like the back of her hand, only he had no idea.

"It's a work in progress." Austin shrugs before looking around, seeing some people having noticed their hidden meetup. "We better not tell the others. The less the rest knows, the better."

By agreeing to that, Ally did exactly three things. One, make a new pact with one of the people she disliked most. Two, realize that pact was full of dishonesty, figuring she knew more about him than he would ever know about her. And three, promise to lie to the person she had made her very first pact with.

* * *

As the two keep their distance to not attract any more attention than they had already gotten, they do try to help each other as much as they can. Which is quite helpful, as the two are almost complete opposites in their skills. While Austin is an obvious great swimmer, besides being strong and having good aim, Ally is quick on her feet, she has good balance and quite the intelligence.

During the following tests, Austin made sure to help Ally in any way he could, whether it was giving her a hand when she needed to climb on top of a high obstacle or shoot some of his pebbles on her target when she kept missing it. In return, Ally let Austin copy her solution when they had to face another difficult sum. Because the test was still team against team, the helping didn't quite stand out, as every single member of the team had to complete the course before the other team could.

This pact was more helpful to her than the one she had with Rachel, which made Ally feel awful from time to time. Because Rachel was just as tiny as her, they had nothing to help each other with, except giving each other sad smiles when they noticed they were being the ones who detained the rest of the group. But that didn't occur anymore after Ally made her new pact. In fact, she had left the bottom three weaklings of the group. She wasn't too threatening, but just good enough to earn respect. Rachel had undoubtedly noticed, but hadn't mentioned it.

Not only in the tests had Austin and Ally helped each other. While Austin had started to tone down his attitude and give other people a sincere smile, even if it wasn't that genuine, instead of a cocky grin, Ally had been talking more to the others, getting to know them. And she loved it.

Their team had won most of the tests, three out of four, causing only one person to be voted out by the viewers. Turns out they weren't sick of either Austin or Ally yet, as a boy who had disappeared in the background often had to leave the island. He had only gotten three more votes than Rachel, which terrified her, causing Ally having to tell her she would be fine, even though she wasn't quite sure of that herself.

Today's test was one of the first that Ally actually felt confident about. Five small platforms, supported by high beams, that got even smaller the farther you got, connected by very narrow wooden beams. One by one, they had to cross the balance beam and collect on the platform as a whole before they could continue to the next platform. As balance was one of the skills that Ally _did_ possess, she had no trouble crossing the shaky logs. People with bigger bodies, like Austin, struggled more.

Austin had fallen off numerous times, which didn't reduce his fanaticism. The two teams go in even step until only Austin and Ally are left on the second-last platform. Their team shuffles together to create a tiny amount of space for one of the two to rest on once they cross the beam and the two exchange a look in which they decide Austin should go first. His feet shake as soon as he places them on the log and he takes a deep breath. Misplacing a foot, he seems to fall off before he manages to save himself. With quick steps, he lands on the platform, making the rest cheer happily.

Now all eyes are on Ally, the pressure of everyone's knowledge she's supposed to be good at this on her shoulders. Spreading her arms, she takes small steps and pretends to be at the gym where she had practiced this more often than anything else. Before she knows it, she's almost arrived at the platform. Glancing to her left, she sees the other team being in the exact same situation as they are. A girl she doesn't know is just stepping onto the beam and Ally knows it's now or never. A hand appears in front of her when she's within reach of her team.

"Here," Austin offers before looking at the platform. Even though everyone is standing as close to each other as possible, their feet leave no room for Ally's. She shoots him a helpless look in which he nods encouraging while stretching his arm farther her way. "Don't worry about it."

You're not the one who has a risk of falling off this platform, she thinks, but doesn't say. Deciding she has no other choice, she grabs his hand and jumps in his direction, even though there is no place for her to land. Pulling her between the group without disturbing the collective balance they had created, she lands safely on her feet. Austin immediately secures her safety by letting go of her hand and placing it on her back. The presenter counts to ten, the amount of time they have to stay still on the platform, and Ally tries her best not to lean against Austin's unstable body, even though the overcrowding around her forces her to. Then, finally, the sound of the end of the test is heard and their team cheers before jumping off, escaping the commotion.

"Good job, princess" Austin tells her proudly while quickly removing his hand, figuring there's enough room for Ally to keep herself on her feet. He can't seem to let go of the nick name he had given her.

"Thanks for the help, prick," Ally answers, finally being able to give him a sincere smile.

* * *

 **Really liked writing this one :)**

 **I decided not to answer reviews anymore, since there just aren't enough to respond to. Sorry, if you were hoping I would!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Heyaa guys!**

 **I got an increase in reviews for last chapter, I'm so so glad you seem to like where this is going. This one is honestly one of the favourite ones I've written. Get ready for some fluffy interaction with some friendly banter and chemistry. Although, I hope it'll be as fun for you to read as it was for me to write.**

* * *

Ally had been on the island for about 15 days, she reckoned. She was lucky the cameramen were nice enough to tell her how many days had passed, or she would have gone crazy. This meant that, whatever she was doing on this island, in this game, she was doing it right. And, if everything checked out, on both islands combined, there were 7 candidates left.

The people at home seemed to love her, as she had never been in the danger zone. Though, the blue team had won most of the tests, so she had rarely felt the stress of having to leave the island all of a sudden.

There was a downside to this ongoing victory, though. The more time she spent with Austin, the more she felt like the pact she had made with Rachel was fading. Even though the contact with Austin was solely living on the fact that they needed each other's help to stay in the game, nothing more and nothing less, she couldn't help but feel like she was replacing Rachel.

She had not encountered the moment where she had to choose between the two, luckily, but if she would ever find herself in that situation, she would have to choose between friendship and security. When asking herself the question whether this game was that important to her, she couldn't give herself an honest answer.

After two weeks, the group had fallen into a pattern where everyone knew their tasks. Every morning, Ally would rise early, - those pesky bugs didn't really grant her a chance on a healthy dose of sleep, but she'd gotten used to it by now -, she would grab her personal rod and sit on her personal rock to spend some quality time while giving herself the opportunity to wake up at her own pace. Rachel wasn't the typical morning person, so she always treasured her 'alone time'. Today was different, though.

"What are you doing?" Ally asks Austin as she notices he's ran up to her while holding one of the few other rods. Keeping his face expressionless, he stays silent as he walks next to her. Ally gives up the fight with a sigh, looking around to check whether the rest sees them being together again, as that wasn't something they had planned to flaunt.

Once they arrive at the rock, Austin reaches out to grab Ally's rod, who lets go automatically, and lays both of the rods on the sand. Following him as he climbs onto the big boulder, Ally comments sassily. "I don't mean to tell you how to do my job, but won't we need the rods in order to catch any fish?"

"That's not what we're going to do," he replies, looking over his shoulder to the rest of the small group before deciding they were enough out of sight. Next, he looks down at Ally with a hint of disappointment, but yet also some pity found in his eyes. "You're still pretty crap at challenges."

"What happened to your attitude change?" Ally rolls her eyes, still disgusted by his behaviour that still tended to show from time to time.

"Look, one day I won't be there to help you during tests." The way he manages to let her know he does care about her through his snappy comment amazes Ally, as she raises an eyebrow. Austin runs a quick hand through his hair, glancing over to the camp once more before nodding at the ocean in front of them. "If there's one thing I can help you improve, it's swimming."

Ally scoffs. "I know how to swim, you prick!"

"Do you want my help or not?" He holds up his hands in defence, raising his eyebrows. "If you come last and get a black vote, I'm not the one to blame."

Ally knows damn well he makes a decent point. Swimming was obviously one of the most frequently tested skills and, honestly, she sucked at it. She could stay afloat, but that's about everything she managed to do in water. There was no way she could even try keeping up with the rest, even Rachel was surprisingly fast in tests.

She couldn't deny she felt slightly embarrassed whenever she knew the upcoming test had something to do with water, knowing the prospect of the incredibly obvious backlog it would cause her. There were very few people more suited to help her improve this particular skill than actual competitive swimmer Austin Moon. Besides, it was often proven that the candidate with a black vote was pretty much always the one sent home the same night, since they are an easy target.

"Fine," she gives in, shrugging carelessly, but still quite glad she had an actual chance of improving her chances a lot. Taking a quick look at the, for her, frightening blue ocean, she moves her feet doubtfully. "I just hate being underwater."

"Now I see why, out of every real life show, you picked the one that is filmed on a place surrounded by the literal ocean." Austin keeps a straight face as he points out the flaws in her plan, making Ally lose her cool and crack a smile before turning gloomy again. "You're not afraid of heights, are you?"

"Of course not," Ally quickly answers. "I don't care about the height, I care more about landing on flat water."

Austin looks at the stairs of rocks that were all connected, leading to a higher cliff. "We won't go that high just yet. But the first step to swimming is the dive. As soon as you manage to get that part right, you'll have a head start," he explains shortly while moving himself and her, by pushing against her back gently.

"But that means I have to go under," Ally reminds him unsurely.

Austin nods slowly, like he's talking to a toddler. "Diving usually results in being under the water surface, well observed." Ally shoves his shoulder, making him show a smile. "Stop worrying, there's nothing that can happen."

"Realistically, there's always something that can happen," she reminds him quickly.

"Don't be so pessimistic!"

"It's called expecting the worst and it's very helpful, for your information," Ally postpones the challenge as she keeps staring at the deep, blue, salty unknown.

"Just show me how you dive so I know what I have to work with." Austin finally steps back and leaves her no chance of backing out. After Ally had removed her top and shorts that covered her bikini - swimming clothes had permanently replaced underwear, figuring they would find themselves in the sea every day - , had closed her eyes and tried her best to impersonate the dives she had seen others perform, she rises to the surface to see the horrified expression on Austin's face. "This is going to be more work than I expected."

Eventually, after an hour of diving, Austin is starting to see signs of improvement. He had had to start at the very beginning, removing her fear of getting the water in her nose, ears and eyes, before he could work at the technique she required. He had removed his shirt to show her his dive to set an example, which only left her gaping at the gracious way he managed to split the water in half effortlessly. But, finally, they could both see her hard work had paid off. It was definitely a difference with the clumsy way she used to jump into the water.

One more time, Ally climbed onto the rock eagerly and braced herself to practice more. As time passed, she had actually began to find joy into diving as she saw herself improve, making Austin having to hide a smile from her. Running up to the edge, she jumps off, flying through the air to cover a big distance before swimming a while under water. As she comes up again and looks at Austin expectantly, he gives her a grin.

"See? That was pretty decent." he nods, crossing his arms. Ally cheers before swimming back to the shore.

"Coming from you, that must mean something." she climbs onto the rock again, squeezing the ocean water out of her hair. Thinking she's done with practice, she gets ready to collect her clothes and head back when he makes her turn around.

"Now, let's move onto the final test."

"Wait, I thought we were done," Ally stutters, blinking unsurely.

"No, princess. The fun is only starting, now comes the best part." Austin wiggles his eyebrows as he climbs on top of the rest of the rocks, slowly making his way up to the highest cliff. Ally has no choice but to follow him.

"Where are you taking me?" She asks him pointlessly as he dodges her question.

"In order to have even the slightest chance in this game, you have to be fearless." Finally arriving at the top, Austin takes a moment to appreciate the view before gesturing to the ocean right beneath them. "Time to face your fear."

Staying silent for a while, Ally just looks at him with wide eyes. "If you think I'm jumping off this cliff, you've lost your mind."

"Come one, it's not that high!"

"That's because you're about the same height as the cliff itself!" She yells back, pointing out their difference in height, making Austin chuckle.

"You're small, you'll be at the bottom before you know it," Austin keeps talking.

"Not helping."

"If you can do this, you'll be able to do anything." He cleverly responding to her known fanaticism to win the game.

"What if I get hurt?" Ally shakily asks him, her knees wobbling in fear.

Austin pushes to urge to comfort the girl away and uses his sarcastic way of responding as a defence. "There's a better chance I'll lose my patience and push you off the edge."

"Don't you dare," she holds up her finger as a warning without diverting her eyes from the water. "I will punch you in the neck you if you even think about touching me."

Austin's face stays blank as he undergoes the tiny girl's attempt to sound threatening. "Terrifying," he states before walking up to her, leaving an appropriate amount of space between them, looking at how jittery she is. "If I jump, will you follow?"

"I-I guess," she mumbles before she can think about the proposition. Austin doesn't think twice about her promise and quickly backs up.

"No takebacks," he yells while running off the high cliff, curling himself in a ball as he does a few flips before diving into the water. As he looks up again, he sees Ally covering her mouth with her hands. After whipping his hair out of his face, he stretches out his arms out next to his side. "What are you waiting for?"

"I can't do it!" She yells at him while shaking her head stubbornly. That's when Austin gets a mischievous look on his face. Before breathing in deeply, he lets himself disappear underwater. While splashing his arms on the surface, he pretends to be struggling to keep himself afloat.

"Help, I'm drowning!" He calls out, making sure to not speak loud enough for the others to hear back at the camp.

"Shut up, prick." Ally rolls her eyes once again, this time because of his ridiculousness. Looking back at the camp, she makes up her mind. Austin was right, in order to be fully prepared on whatever was coming in this game, this was something she needed to overcome. Taking a deep breath, she looks down again. "Alright, I'm going to jump."

"Just don't land on top of me," Austin answers as he swims to the side to give her space. Not giving him another glance, Ally jumps off while closing her eyes and just lets herself fall like a rag doll. It's over before she can even think about it and before she knows, she's looking straight at Austin once she swims to the surface. "Your jump wasn't half as great as mine, though," he tells her.

"How about you try to catch up with me," Ally raises one eyebrow before quickly starting to swim back to the beach, seriously overhyping her swimming abilities this afternoon. After only a second, Austin surpasses her by moving his experienced arms through the water. Once Ally arrives, he's looking at his imaginary watch impatiently. "Whatever, I'm better at fishing anyway," she uses as counter-argument.

* * *

"Austin, are you awake?" Ally whispers after she made sure no one else is still awake. She doesn't think about the cameras that still roll at night, though. It was about three in the morning and she hadn't been able to catch some sleep.

On this particular evening, the everlasting sunshine had disappeared and clouds with an uninterrupted downpour appeared. The rain had made everything damp and cold, including the candidates and their clothes. It was safe to say that everyone's mood was worse than ever. As Ally had found her only still dry hoodie, the wind had picked up and blew right through the hut that lacked protective walls.

She hears him sigh as he's lying beside her, his back facing. "Yeah, why are you?"

"I'm cold," she tells him quietly.

"Everyone is."

"My hoodie is not very windproof."

"What do you want me to do about it?" He doesn't move an inch, ignoring her shaky voice.

"Do you have an extra one?" She tries carefully.

"I'm wearing my only one," Austin concludes, after which Ally stays silent. Deciding there was nothing she could change about her situation and already dreading the next morning in which she would feel the result of the lack of sleep and stiff bones, Ally closes her eyes in an attempt to fall asleep. What she didn't expect, nor notice, was that Austin had turned around to face her. After looking at her curled up body, he sighs one more time before pulling her closer and moving his own body towards her, wrapping one arm around her shoulder while pushing her against his chest.

"What are you doing?" Ally asks him, short on breath by this sudden move.

"I'm only doing this so you're fit tomorrow," he mutters, respectfully trying not to nuzzle up as he feels her hair under his chin.

Ally eventually smiles as she gets comfortable, the body heat making the tiredness return. "Thanks, prick."

She finds herself drifting asleep, the fabric of Austin's hoodie softly grazing the tip of her nose. After watching her for a second and making sure she's not shaking anymore, he does the same. "Welcome, Ally."

* * *

 **:)**

 **Don't hesitate to tell me what you thought down in the reviews**


	5. Chapter 5

**Heyheyhey!**

 **Sorry about the delay. Man, I should set an alarm every week to make sure I remember to update. Oh well, 12 hours late. I've done worse. It's a bit bigger to make up for it**

 **Just wanted you guys to know that, if you've reviewed for any chapter, I saw it, I read it over and over and it made me very happy. Just because I don't reply to your reviews, doesn't mean I don't appreciate them, I really do.**

 **This one might be a nail biter. You'll be able to see Ally's new dilemma's that make the story a bit more interesting :)**

* * *

After another few days, the last candidate that would regularly get sent home, got outvoted. Ally didn't know this, the rest of the candidates on her island filled her in. After this last elimination, the merge test would take place, but not before the two _islands_ would merge _._

The two groups of a total of 6 will get together on a whole new part of the island. This particular 'merge' test is different than the usual tests, though. For the first time, it won't be two teams battling, but each candidate individually. If you fail, you won't be dragging down your team, you'll only be putting yourself in a very insecure spot, once you receive the dreaded 'black vote', meaning you get one extra vote against you at the following island selection.

Not only that prospect, but also the knowledge that the remains of the red team would soon arrive brought tension. The blue team had ended up with 4 candidates remaining, including Austin, Ally and Rachel, meaning only two red team players would step off the boat.

It was honestly a surprise that Rachel managed to stay in the game this long, figuring she didn't fit well in the group. It was probably the fact that she was one of the best known candidates that had the classic 'girl next door' look that made everyone love her automatically, no matter how little action she actually showed on the island. Lots of candidates who weren't afraid to show the viewers their attitude got outvoted way before her.

When the small boat arrives, not only Drew steps out, Ally's biggest fear being confirmed, also a fairly broad girl, a field hockey player, Ally presumed, steps on the sand. She immediately runs up to Oliver, also a field hockey player that Ally got closer to as they spent more time together on the same team. They must've already known each other before being separated when the group split. Drew smirks, seemingly impressed to see both Ally and Rachel still in the game.

"Nice to see you again, too, tell-tale," he tells her as he deliberately roughly bumps his shoulder against hers while walking past. Ally's mouth drops open as she tries to wrap her mind around the unusual nickname he gave her. What blows her mind even more, is the fact that he walks right up to Rachel and that their conversation seems far from hostile. Last time they spoke, Rachel ruined his chance on winning the test, so he should have no interest in talking to her, yet they walk off together, leaving Ally with Austin.

"You two don't seem to be friends," Austin remarks, resting his elbow on her shoulder while tightening his blue rag, the one he had to remove soon as the teams officially didn't exist anymore, around his pulse.

Ally sighs as she crosses her arms. "We go way back." Turning her attention to Austin, she tries to hide her nerves. "Are you looking forward to the first individual test?"

"I guess so, it sure will be different." Austin keeps looking ahead until he notices Ally's teeth digging in her lower lip. "No need to be nervous, you'll be fine on your own."

"Right, we can do this," she agrees, earning a friendly shoulder punch.

* * *

"Today, you will experience how it is to not fight for your team, but for yourself only. This test is all about the combination of strength and brains," the presenter announces, gesturing at the curiously looking devices placed on the sand next to them. The brain part comforts Ally, knowing she had practiced by solving sums in the sand in private, but the muscle part not so much. Glancing at Austin, she sees the exact opposite as she notices him looking at the familiar black schoolboards.

"The test begins once everyone hangs onto a horizontal bar. Your weight will lift an obstacle, revealing a set of numbers and letters. The longer you manage to hold your own weight, the longer you have to memorize them. But if you let go, you must turn around and can't study it any more. Only when everyone has let go of the bar, you can all start writing down the code as far as you have it memorized. The person that has the longest set on their board without errors, wins."

Only the perfect combination of muscle and good memory was guaranteed to make a good chance to win. The only thing Ally was worrying about, was whether she could compensate her lack of strength with her intelligence. She would soon find out as everyone took their place. Right between Austin and Rachel, she catches Austin's encouraging eyes briefly, but can only look at Rachel, who avoids her eyes and stares ahead. The presenter starts his countdown, giving the sign to grab the bar hanging above them. As soon as the start signal sounds, the stools are being pulled away and a wooden board is being lifted.

2-E-5-0-T-S-9-9-S-1-L-M. That is the first set. Under that line, there are four other combinations of numbers and letters. Before starting to mindlessly memorize, Ally decides she needs a strategy. Nobody will be able to or even try to learn the whole thing. Quality is more important than quantity in this situation and she decides to take all the time she needs to memorize the first line perfectly. One single error might be enough to get the black vote.

Her hands are already starting to hurt, her fingers turning stiff, signalling her to start immediately. By combining mnemonics and repeating the code as a melody in her head, she quickly finds herself silently humming the combination on the melody of one of her favourite Halsey songs. Before she can even start focussing on the next set, she hears Rachel making soft noises to accompany her struggle. Trying to get a better hold, she moves her hands, one of the worst things you could do in a situation like this. When she turns her head to study Austin, he looks more relaxed, yet doesn't seem to be able to fully focus on the test.

As Ally is just reading the second set, Rachel loses her grip and falls down. The wooden board falls down with her and she's forced to turn around, having to find every bit of concentration to remember what she had just learned. A little while later, after she had luckily managed to cramp the second set into her brain as well, the law of gravity overpowers the strength in her arms. After that, Drew promptly follows. Another major disadvantage of having to let go early, beside having less time to study, is that the longer you aren't able to see the code on the board, the more you start doubting yourself. Was it T-S-9-9 or S-T-9-9?

Long after Oliver is forced to let go, Austin is still hanging on. On one hand, Ally grants Austin all the time he needs. On the other, she's does a silent prayer he lets go soon, so she can write everything down while still having enough trust in herself. Finally, in a moment of lost focus, his fingers slip and he falls to his feet. The rest quickly turns around, grabs the pieces of chalk and start writing everything their mind allows them to remember.

Ally is fairly sure about the first set, but the second one gives her trouble. After a few minutes, their time is up and they have to stop writing. It only takes one quick glance to notice nobody is sure about their work, eyes taking a final look at their board as teeth nervously nibble on lips. Comparing her work, she sees only Drew has written more symbols on his board. That doesn't mean they're all right, though. If his first letter is wrong, he'll be the one with the black vote tonight.

"Before showing the right codes, I will reveal which three are in first, second and _last_ place. Drew," the presenter speaks, making Drew's eyes light up in hope. "you are neither of those. Neither are Oliver and Rebecca." Now he turns his attention to Austin, Ally and Rachel, who are proven to be the three he spoke of.

Austin looks at Ally worriedly, knowing he didn't manage to remember much, even though he had the longest time to memorize everything. The presenter pulls a cloth that covers the biggest blackboard off, revealing all the sets. The three quickly compare their work with the example and, soon enough, they know the results.

"Congratulations, Ally," the presenter says with a smile, making Ally's mouth drop open. She had actually won the first ever individual test without any help of others, all because of her own intelligence in balance with whatever kind of muscle was to be found in her small body. Austin gives her a high five, genuinely proud and content with his second place. "And Rachel, you will have a black vote in the island selection tonight." Then it finally hits her that Rachel will be in a very difficult position. Rachel nods sadly before receiving a pitiful smile from Ally.

"The privilege you will receive is immunity for tonight." She cheers silently, grateful she won't be having to waste any energy on worrying about the small chance she would have to go home. "Also don't forget that the winner always has two votes to cast. I wish the rest all the luck with deciding who they want to give their single vote to. Remember that there are still some candidates with extra votes."

He was right, while almost everyone of the Blue team had used all their extra votes, Ally knew that Austin and herself had saved up a few. Not that Ally would need them tonight, but Austin had showed he was a huge threat by hanging onto the bar for so long.

While it was clear to everyone that Ally and Rachel weren't as close as they were at the start of the show, Ally had made an effort to keep Rachel as a friend. Rachel hadn't picked up on that, though, or she just didn't feel like Ally was worth keeping close. This had upset Ally for a while, but she couldn't be bothered for long as she realized she didn't need Rachel if Rachel kept up the ignorant attitude towards her. But, as soon as they're back on the island, Rachel is dragging Ally away from the group.

"You did amazing at the test today!" Rachel preaches her quickly. Ally wants to thank her, but is immediately interrupted as she keeps talking. "But I really don't want to get outvoted tonight. I'm going to be needing your help."

"Sure." Ally nods uncertainly. She had ignored Ally for weeks and now she wanted her help? But she couldn't deny it. Even though their friendship had maybe gotten weaker, they still had a pact. Ally had promised her once to do her best to make sure they'd be in the finale together and she couldn't deny her call for help now.

"I think the only option we have, is to put our votes on Austin," Rachel whispers in which Ally automatically steps back. Rachel rolls her eyes when she sees Ally's shocked look. "Come on, you hated that guy when you met him. Don't tell me you're actually considering protecting him, just because he pitied you enough to use his time to give you a hand. Don't think he would've helped you if he hadn't gotten anything in return."

It hurts Ally to even think of the possibility that Austin still didn't think they hadn't built up some kind of mutual trust. Sure, both of their intentions at first was just to get further in the game. Ally's information about him had made her lost all respect for him instantly, after all. But, after spending more time with each other, she had actually started to forget his big secret.

From the small signs she had picked up on, he enjoyed spending time with her as much as she did. The combination of support and the way they could bring out the best in each other made them grow towards each other as the most unlikely friends. But now she was threatened to betray him.

"He was just a way to get me further in the competition," Ally lies, keeping her eyes down, this one sentence hurting her more than she could ever imagine. A content smile appears on Rachel's lips, after which she starts explaining her waterproof theory of how they could outvote Austin with the help of Oliver and Rebecca. Apparently the two field hockey players had had their eyes on Austin for a long time now, wanting to make him disappear before they found themselves in the finale with him.

Ally glances over her shoulder to see Austin sitting on one of the logs, staring at her with a look filled with distrust before she gets back to pretending to listen to Rachel.

* * *

"What did Rachel want from you?" Austin asks her once she returns. Ally shrugs as she remembers the promise she made to keep quiet. It was crucial that she kept a natural act up, careful not to arouse suspicion. The slightest bit of doubt could ruin Rachel's whole plan, she had said. Besides, she couldn't even look at Austin without feeling herself crumble under the pressure of the plan she had against him.

"Not much, just wanted to congratulate me," she mutters, avoiding too much eye contact.

"Well, you should start focussing on the selection tonight. You might've not noticed yet, but you have an important role. You have a lot of power over the outcome." Grabbing her pulse, he drags her away from the camp, a camera following as always. "Drew asked me to get you. He wants to discuss tactic with us."

"Drew?" Drew wanted to involve her into whatever plan he had? Figuring he would probably only be using her right to cast two votes, Ally didn't feel like coming with Austin, but he seemed eager to work with Drew, for some reason. They soon arrive at the spot where Drew is waiting for them. He gets down to business at once.

"Austin is in trouble and since you two seem quite close, I figured you'd want to help him out," Drew starts. Ally holds her breath, but plays it cool as she nods. Little did the two men in front of her know she was one of the people participating in the plan. "Oliver and Rebecca are both voting for Austin. Lucky for us, they don't have any extra votes left, Austin told me. Rachel is helping them, I overheard, but if you're on our side, we can easily overpower them with the help of some extra votes."

Ally narrows her eyes and crosses her arms. "What's in it for you?"

"I'm helping him with an extra vote if he'll be targeted in the future," Austin illustrates quickly.

"Fair enough," she decides, but can't fight the doubtful look in her eyes. She has a pact with Rachel and, even though she didn't really agree with her plan, besides wanting everything but sending Austin home, she felt unsure about agreeing with Drew's plan. "I don't feel comfortable going behind Rachel's back like that."

"We can vote Rachel out with or without you, but if you're not with us, you will be next," Drew exerts pressure on her shamelessly. Looking at Austin for help, he just stares back apologetic.

"Ally, it's just a game." He tries to convince her and he's right. This isn't the place to start friendships. Betrayal wasn't a new incident in the show, that was certain. And this particular dilemma was a perfect example. Was this just a game to Austin, as in; would he would betray her if he would find himself in her situation?

She had to choose; who would she feel less guilty about sending home? Who did she want to battle against in the finale? Who was more important to her? Apart from that, Drew would do everything in his power to sent her off the island first chance he got and she doesn't doubt for a second he would succeed. Austin awakes her from her trance with a careful, yet urgent voice. "You need to make a decision. Are you playing for yourself or for Rachel?"

"Fine, I'm in," she says after a second, feeling a weight falling off her shoulders. There's still the guilt that will most definitely grow as the selection approaches, though.

Drew nods pleased. "You both better bring in an extra vote, just to be sure."

"I'll use two of mine," Austin quickly states, looking at Ally reassuringly. "Ally can save hers for later."

"Whatever, as long as there's an extra vote on Rachel tonight." Drew disappears as soon as the deal is closed, not bothering to stay in their presence longer than necessary.

"Thank you," Ally releases a breath she didn't know she was holding while closing her eyes, still overflowing with stress.

"I'm sorry to drag you into this," he sincerely apologizes while awkwardly biting his lip.

Ally shakes her head resolutely. "It's not your fault, you had no choice. I'm just hoping Rachel won't be too mad at me."

"She shouldn't be, it's just how the game works. She knows that as well," Austin adds in an attempt to calm her down, but it doesn't seem to be working as Ally's eyes are still obviously full of worry. Austin steps closer to pull her in a hug in order to comfort her, since he's ran out of words that he thought could work.

Her body feels tense, but relaxes once his two arms wrap around her shoulders. Still unsure how comfortable she feels in his presence, she hesitantly hugs him back, pulling back as she notices the always present red light nearby, reminding her that everything is being recorded. It's not like she doesn't want their friendship being seen by the viewers, she'd just hate to create the illusion of something that definitely isn't there.

* * *

 **I know i told you all I wouldn't be answering any more reviews, but I got a few questions that I reckoned deserved an answer so here we go :)**

 **Also a quick question, if anyone wants their name as Austin's daughter, tell me in the reviews!**

letmetakeyourpicturebaby chapter 15 (College Works Out)

oh ok that makes sense:)

It's been a while, and now I realize that the story you've picked is Just a Game, (which I do love dearly) but still kind of hoping that the 3rd part of this series will be written?

I know that Just A Game is kind of your main story rn, (wait is ROALT still being written? It has like 60 chapters and you must have some crazy willpower to keep going on the same story that long:D), so I totally understand if this doesn't get a 3rd part, but keeping my fingers crossed:)

Suggestion for Just A Game: It briefly mentions that Ally is a lawyer and that's how she knows Austin, can you write a bit of backstory on that interaction?(maybe a flashback of sorts or something like that?)

Having to review on this chapter because the story won't let me review more than once on the last chap:) **– hi there! Just wanted to tell you I love how much you support my work and I'm glad you're liking my new project. As for the question, the third part of the Working Out trilogy is merely some ideas for now. I'm close to finishing Just A Game and there's a greater chance I'll be starting a different story that requires more research about some serious topics than I've ever done for a story. Needless to say, it might take some time to write it. Though, it won't be a long story, not more than 10 chapters for sure. Hate to keep you waiting, but I'm just collecting ideas for the story you're looking forward to. Hope you understand!**

Ocean chapter 3

I absolutely adore this fanfic!  
I can't wait for next Sunday and the next update!  
How are you? Are you excited for school and how much of this story do you have planned out? Also, at what point do you think Ausally will get together?  
Thanks! **– Hey girlie! Thank you for asking, I'm quite good. Just started university for the first time and it's quite the experience. For now, I'm having fun, so that's definitely a relieve. I've written everything for this story except for the final chapter, I'm making sure that's perfect. I might do an epilogue as well, if I find some inspiration for it. Oh, I know when they're getting together. The thing is, 'getting together' is a rather vague term. You'll find out soon, though. Just enjoy the journey of an increase of chemistry and it'll be there before you know it :)**

jcarter692 chapter 2

Awesome chapter, I'm glad Ally is on the same team as Rachel and Austin! Honestly, I love the length of your paragraphs. I love more descriptive detailed stories because I like to visualize the scenes. Your writing is really great! **– Thanks for clarifying that! Same here, I love to describe everything I can imagine in a scene, which, sadly, enlarges the length of the chapter. Compromises have to be made! Thank you for the compliments!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Eyy we're back bitchezzz**

 **Honestly one of my fav chapters, so just sit back and chill ou** **t**

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Just a few hours later, the sun had gone down and the six candidates were sitting on wooden benches **,** surrounded by numerous torches and the rest of the jungle. By playing some mood setting sound effect, the show usually creates a mysterious atmosphere as the presenter stares them down for a few seconds, before starting his usual speech.

"It's time for the island selection. Everyone gets to vote once for the candidate they wish to send off the island. The candidates who still have extra votes are able to use them, as this will be one of the last island selections you will encounter," he says in his usual cryptic voice. "Rebecca, you may go to the ballot box and cast your vote."

Ally can't stop her feet from tapping anxiously, trying to look determined every time Rachel looks at her. Next to her, Austin coughs weakly, looking paler than usual and vague circles showing under his eyes. Ever since he woke up he's been feeling drained. The energy he's wasting by coughing every other minute was using more energy than he was being provided as food was starting to run out.

"We're almost there," Rachel whispers reassuring before she sees it's her turn to vote. On Ally's other side, Austin gives her a weak smile, being equally if not more nervous than she is. His faith lies completely in Ally's hands and the pressure of that overwhelming power is killing her. Looking at Austin's profile as leans on his knees while biting on his bottom lip, she eventually makes up her mind. She can't let down Austin after everything he'd done for her.

After everyone has cast their votes, Ally does her best to duck Rachel's stares. She knows it's only her imagination, but it seems like Rachel knows everything, including the now inevitability that is the soon end of her adventure on the island. As soon as the presenter starts speaking again, Ally feels Austin's hand on her knee, giving it an encouraging squeeze that relieves a part of the nerves.

"It's time to count the votes. Rachel, since you ended last in today's test, one vote will already be assigned to you. Now, onto the candidate's votes," he explains before opening the box and, one by one, taking out a paper with a name written on it before showing it to the rest. "Austin, the first vote is for you." Rachel shows a small smile. "The second vote goes to Rachel." The next few votes are all alternately until six votes are revealed; three for Rachel and three for Austin.

"Here we go," Rachel giggles, still believing she has control over the situation. Knowing Austin and Drew would most definitely vote for her, plus her black vote, she thinks these three will be all the votes she will be receiving. As she had not been paying attention at the selections before this, she has no clue not only Ally, but also Austin had extra votes, therefore not taking into account the amount of power he also possessed.

"Three votes left," the presenter announces before Rachel's smile fades as she does some quick math. According to her plan, only two more votes should be Ally's extra votes. Knowing something is wrong, she looks at Ally, who can only stare at her hands in her lap. "And they're all for Rachel. That means there are six votes for Rachel against three for Austin."

"Ally?" Rachel's voice shakes as she asks for an explanation, making the guilty feeling tear Ally down even more. Tears appear in her eyes as she knows she can't avoid Rachel's intensive stare.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, truthfully regretting hurting her like this, but also hoping Rachel could see she didn't have a choice. Rachel must've noticed she only showed interest in Ally when she was in danger of getting outvoted, after all.

"Oh, I see what's going on." Rachel's pout disappears as it was never real when she sees Austin's hand still laid still on Ally's knee. Austin, who had been closely watching the whole scene quickly pulls his hand back. "Could've known you would pick some dick over our friendship. Literally," Rachel laughs sarcastically, seemingly having forgotten her utter misery from only a few seconds ago. Standing up, she gives both Austin and Ally a dirty look. "Tell me if the sex was worth it, would you?"

"That's not what this is about, you're all wrong!" Ally gasps, but Rachel looks like she's having none of it.

"Save it, Ally." Dramatically, Rachel turns her back on Ally and steps off the platform. She looks at the two one more time, disgust in her eyes. "You will regret this."

* * *

After returning, all candidates went to bed without exchanging any words. Austin was the only one who had lied awake for a few minutes after lying down, even though he needed a good sleep the most. Turning around to face Ally, he had intended to thank her for everything she had given up to save him, but she was fast asleep. After looking at her exhausted form, her trembling eyelashes resting under her eyes and curls sprawled out on the wood that is her temporary bed, he closes his eyes as well.

The candidates didn't expect anything to happen the next day, but, when they had woken up, a letter awaited them next to the entrance of the hut. They all gathered to learn about the content of the letter, only to find out there was a surprise waiting for them. Eventually, after a few hours of stressfully trying to stock up their supply as much as they could, the presenter arrived on the island.

"Dear candidates," he starts before showing a relaxed smile. "Congratulations, you've all made it to the merge." The realization hadn't hit the group as they cheer loudly. The merge was a big deal, it was the line between participating at the game and actually having a chance to win it. "I've noticed you've been low on food recently and I think now is the perfect moment for a celebration dinner. How does that sound?" The thought of a full dinner, consisting of something other than fish and bananas for once was unthinkably amazing.

"Though, instead of that, you can also choose something else. Something you might want more than anything right now." This catches the attention of the group again. "Right after you all left your family and friends, they recorded a little message for you. Their words of endearment might be something that will help you pull through. But if you choose the video, you won't be allowed to sit down at the dinner table. It's one or the other. You need to make your decision right now. Is there anyone who chooses the video message over the feast?" The presenter asks. The group exchanges some looks and everyone seems to quickly decide they're in too much need of tasty and nutritious food to consider seeing their family, even though they all miss them dearly.

"I do," Austin suddenly raises his hand, making everyone's mouths drop open. If there was anyone who could use the option of extra energy, it was Austin, figuring he was still feeling quite sick.

"Are you sure, Austin?" The presenter double checks and Austin nods firmly. "Alright, seeing you're the only one, you may come with me. The rest may make their way to the dinner table, which is filled with things you had to live without, like chicken, bread, candy, wine," he keeps summing up while the smiles on everyone's faces grow bigger with every word. Austin is showing a pained expression, though, and Ally looks at him with sympathy, wondering who was missing him at home so much that he would skip a whole dinner for.

As the other four candidates were stuffing themselves until they couldn't walk anymore, with both food and alcohol, Ally knew that would only make the situation worse. You see, if you eat a lot after having small meals for a long time, your stomach will not notice until you have eaten more than you can handle, resulting in stomach aches. The combination with alcohol will only delay the effect. The other candidates are already too intoxicated to notice Ally standing by the buffet, checking over her shoulder before choosing what to fill her plate with selectively and walking away from the table.

She had luckily paid close attention to where they had brought Austin, so it only took her a minute to find him sitting on the sand, watching the sun approaching the horizon. Walking up to him from behind, she checks to see if nobody, not even the cameras, had seen her sneak away. At least, that's what she thinks. In reality, Drew follows her with his eyes distrusting. Once he figures out her plan to look for Austin, a plan forms in his head as he finishes his umpteenth beer.

"Knock, knock," she awakes Austin from his trance, making him look over his shoulder to check who had bothered to visit him, before smiling at her, gesturing it was okay to join him. Placing the food in front of him, careful not to get any sand on the plate, she looks at him proudly as she flops down next to him. "I know you must be sick of fruit by now, but these are some of the most nutritious things they have," she says while pointing at the fruits, vegetables, rolls and a chocolate bar for the energy boost. "And I didn't forget the best part." From behind her back, she reveals a bottle of red wine.

Austin chuckles, his eyes hungrily scanning the plate. "You didn't have to do this." They settle in the warm sand, completely oblivious to the single camera that did follow Ally after noticing the group being incomplete, now recording behind their backs.

"But I did. They only said you couldn't sit at the table, they never specified you couldn't eat it somewhere else." She shrugs casually, happy she had been able to find a loophole with her experience of debating. "You really need it so you better finish it all." Her eyes fall on the IPad that looks untouched next to him. "You haven't watched the video yet?"

"No, not yet." He doesn't bother to clarify why.

"Oh," Ally awkwardly speaks. "I'll leave you to it then. They'll probably notice I'm gone soon anyway."

"You don't have to go," Austin quietly states, catching her eyes as she's about to get up from the sand. Hiding his vulnerability, he shrugs slightly. "I mean, you can stay if you want."

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea," Ally admits. The fact that he hadn't even looked at the IPad yet, shows that whatever he gets to see later is making him nervous and Ally wasn't sure she's ready to see him in whatever state that brings him. "This is quite personal, I wouldn't-"

"Please." Austin had quickly figured out that acting tough wasn't going to work, so he cut the act. He didn't beg often, but he somehow didn't even care anymore. "I kind of don't want to be alone."

Ally nods quickly, not wanting to leave him alone when he clearly wants her to stay. "Sure, no problem." Austin finally grabs the tablet and unlocks it. Immediately, a video with a small, red curly-haired girl appears. With a shaken hand, Austin presses play.

"Can I talk yet?" She unsurely asks someone behind the camera before looking directly at it. "Hey, daddy! You left to go to the island yesterday, but they told me to pretend you've been gone for weeks. I miss you already, so I don't think it'll be hard," she starts excitedly, quickly drifting off as she rambles.

"That's your daughter," Ally notes, recognizing her from the photos Austin's wife had provided before the trial. After succeeding in remembering her name, she's about to voice it , before realizing he had never told her what it was. Admitting she knew her name would surely raise suspicions.

"She looks more like her mother," he mumbles as he keeps his focus on the video.

"They also told me you won't even see this if you're bad at the game, so yeah. I think I just need to keep talking, that's what the man behind the camera said," the girl giggles, making Ally smile as well. She hears Austin sniff and thinks it's just his sickness until she glances at him and sees tears rolling down his cheeks.

"She has your eyes," Ally quietly tells him, carefully putting a hand on his shoulder to even remotely feel like she's comforting him. Feeling useless, she decides to rest her head on his shoulder.

"I don't think I could stay on an island for so long, I'd get bored. And hungry. And I don't know where I'd have to go to pee. And I don't think I could bring Pickles," she shows the plush rabbit that she's playing with during the talk. "They're making weird hand signals, I think they want me to stop talking. You're going to win the game because you're the strongest and you're very smart. Oh, and I love you! Bye!" The screen goes black after that, the silence almost unbearable.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you to stay," Austin eventually says, wiping his cheeks dry with embarrassment, in which Ally sits up straight again.

"It's okay, I understand." She guesses he hadn't wanted to see him cry and the least she could do is forget it even happened. "She really loves you," she tries to better the situation, but fails as this only causes tears to well up in his eyes again. He nods slowly, turning away his head. Her curiosity takes over before she lightly touches his arm. "Austin?"

"I just miss her," he sobs after failing to keep it in by biting his lip. "This is the longest she's ever been without me. I remember how sad she was when I told her I might be away for a month. She didn't understand, begged me not to go at first," he sighs deeply, shaking his head at the painful memory. "I lost custody of her a year ago. I don't get to see her that often anymore."

And that's when he confirms Ally's presumption; he had no clue she was entirely responsible for his greatest misery. And, for the second time in 24 hours, guilt is slowly tearing her apart and the only one she can blame for both his and her own pain is herself. She couldn't even blame the fact that it was her job. Of course, she did things like that every day without shame. But she could've just refused to represent his wife. She could've said she didn't want to get involved with celebrity drama, figuring his wife was known for loving media attention and did approximately everything to see her name in the headlines of the hottest tabloids.

She could've admitted that she hadn't liked the woman from the start, that she hated how the woman seemed to do anything to bring her soon to be ex-husband the biggest misfortune she could possibly produce. But she didn't. She accepted the case without a second thought, causing a drug addict to lose custody over his daughter, a drug addict that later somehow turned out to be someone she grew to care about. A drug addict that was now breaking down in front of her and she couldn't find the words to make him feel better, since the only sentence that was now permanently stuck in her brain were 'I, I only, did everything within my power to help your ex-wife win the case with the help of digging into your personal life, and therefore making you lose the only person you love.'.

"She's really proud of you," is what she hears herself say, just to fill the growing silence. The information he had just shared with her had seemed like a confession to him, but was actually something she had known for a long time.

"Thanks for staying." His breathing finally slows down until it doesn't get interrupted by the occasional sob. He glances shortly at her small hand on his arm before looking her in the eyes. "I guess I needed the support."

She blushes slightly as she removes her hand again and instead pushes his shoulder lightly. "Anytime, prick."

"Don't push it, princess." He sincerely smiles and picks up a roll from the plate.

"So, do you want to go to the group?" After a short silence of sharing the food on the small plate, Ally speaks up again.

"I think I'll stay here for a while." His eyes are still slightly swollen and he might not feel like interacting with anyone besides the girl who he had just shown his vulnerability to. Something about how he speaks tells her she shouldn't leave him alone now, so she decides to stay with him.

"You might want to light a fire, it's getting dark," she noted in which he shrugs while looking at the sun who had already halfway sunken below the horizon.

"I've never been good at that," he admits.

"What about the first test? You managed to burn the string quite fast, I thought."

"Pure luck, I guess. I didn't even know what I was doing," Austin chuckles his confession. It's like a lightbulb lights in Ally's head before the corners of her mouth curls up. She couldn't push away the idea that Austin had helped her more than she had managed to help him, figuring he practically taught her the skill of basic swimming with an extra training to improve her speed. She had had nothing to offer him, besides an attitude check, but that never seemed to bother him. Finally, she had something that she could teach him that would actually come in handy.

"Well, looks like I'm able to repay you for what you did for me," Ally starts in which Austin looks at her confused. "You taught me how to dive and swim decently, now I'll teach you how to make a quick fire."

He makes the mistake of looking at her unsurely. "You're good at making a fire?"

Ally raises an eyebrow as a warning. "Why does that surprise you?"

"It doesn't," he quickly withdraws his question making Ally giggle.

"Nice save," she praises before taking her personal magnesium stick out of her shorts pocket. "If you want to prevent us from sitting in the dark in a few minutes, you better get cracking."

The next fifteen minutes, they find enough straw and dry wood to have a good base for a small fire. With Ally's basic tips she owed all to her fanatic brother, they manage to create a spark right before the darkness takes over.

"See, that was pretty decent," she repeats the way he barely complimented her first adequate dive, accompanied with a wink before taking the wine bottle from his hands. "You can bet your ass this will be one of the elements of the test in the finale. If you even get to attempt to complete it," Ally jokes, making Austin grin at her. They both feel like the full bottle of wine, that was now close to empty, was having an impact on their speech and perhaps even actions. All Ally knew was that the world was slightly blurry and she was surprised they hadn't happened to light themselves on fire.

"Thanks, Ally," he sincerely speaks his gratitude again, Ally not knowing what for, but she doesn't bother to get into it.

"What happened to 'princess'?" Ally asks, paired with a bubbly giggle while Austin stays serious as ever, keeping his eyes on her as she looks at the label of the bottle, picking it off. Only the seconds of silence that lack Austin's answer make her look at him again. The light of the fire creates shadows on Austin's face with the help of his features, emphasizing the way his gaze shifts from one eye to the other, studying her closely. The smile falls from her lips once she sees his stare drop to them. He doesn't even seem to be thinking of a response, the plan to reply long forgotten as other priorities emerged, like Ally's wine stained lips.

"We should get back," Austin mumbles after pulling himself away from whatever force that was pulling him towards the girl next to him. Ally has to remind herself to breathe again as she nods before following him eventually, leaving the fire that could've brought something that was a long time coming as it dies down slowly.

* * *

 **Any thoughts? Let me know in the reviews below :)**

 **I'll see you later, cool peeps**


	7. Chapter 7

**Lol forget what I said about last chapter, this one is fire. Drama to the max, honestly. Don't mind the cliché that you're about to read at the end of this chapter, it's something that I've always wanted to use and this was the perfect opportunity. Enjoooooy!**

* * *

The following morning, Ally wakes to something she hadn't seen yet the whole time she had been on the island; Austin had awakened before her. His sleeping bag was lying empty next to hers and so was Drew's. Rebecca and Oliver were still sound asleep. She decides not to think much of it and shrugs it off, knowing it wouldn't be long until the boat would come and pick them up. Getting up, she starts mentally and physically preparing herself. After a quick swim to feel even the slightest bit of refreshing and some preparation exercise, she gets dressed. If there was one thing she would kill for by now, it was a normal shower. She was starting to see the effects of the salt water on her hair and skin. They did give her shampoo and soap, of course, but still.

After taking an hour to fish on her personal rock to calm her rising nerves, she sees Austin coming out of the jungle with Drew, both holding a small bunch of bananas they had found. They hadn't talked about whatever happened last night that was a consequence of the wine and the campfire, and she wasn't planning on bringing it up now, but she was still curious whether he even experienced it like she did.

"Hey," she says as soon as she's close enough to him. No response. "I think today's test will be tiring," Ally continues, blaming his silence and a permanent frown on his face on possible morning grumpiness. He kneels down in front of the supply chest to place the fruit inside as Ally lays a hand on his shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

"Why do you care?" Austin asks in response, a certain amount of frustration noticeably in the raise of his voice as he stands up swiftly, moving his shoulder roughly as a clear sign that Ally's hand isn't wanted anywhere near him.

"Is everything okay?" She gasps and steps back in fear, not recognizing this aggressive form Austin had suddenly changed into.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Letting out a sarcastic chuckle that perfectly matches his hostile form. "Will you be using that information against me again?"

"Wha-what do you mean with that?" She stutters, but when she catches Drew's smug grin, it all falls into place.

"There was someone who felt like it was time that I knew the truth about you," closing the lid of the chest with brutal force, he catches the attention of anyone who hadn't noticed the scene yet. "Always nice to find you you're lied to by someone you trust."

"Austin, I can explain," she desperately tries to calm him down, trying to find an excuse for the mistake she made, but fails.

"Save it, Ally," without hesitation, he effortlessly pushes her to the side. He stops his pace after taking a few steps, bringing the slightest bit of hope back to Ally. "You know, you could've just told me." Ally nods, realizing that had been the best thing to do, except that, the closer she had started to feel to him, the more she had told herself he couldn't, and never would, know. After quickly looking at her from top to bottom, reminding her of how he had scanned her the first day they met, he just shakes his head disappointedly. "How could you just watch my daughter like that and not feel the slightest bit guilty?"

"I wanted to tell you, I really did!" Her eyes start to water as she feels the friendship they had managed to build up, crumble apart in front of them.

He diverts his eyes, not being able to stand her sadness, even after all of this, though had he told himself he was immune to it. "Don't bother counting on my help later," he mumbles, walking away from her.

* * *

"Today, you will have to combine your strength with your drive to win," the group was standing in front of a long course, some obstacles with big nets spread out horizontally and, at the very end, five large baskets with all the candidate's names on them. The test seemed fairly clear, only one detail was new to them. The usual sand that had become their home by now was now replaced by long, tough grass. "Hidden in the grass, you will find a large number of coconuts. Your job is to collect four while making your way to the finish line and put them in your basket. There's just one problem. The total number of coconuts is nineteen. That means one of you won't be able to complete the test. That person will receive the black vote."

Now everyone starts to realize what he meant with 'your drive to win'. If they wanted to even have a chance to complete the test, they had to be very fast to collect enough coconuts. Unless...

"I also have to add that there are no rules. If you find yourself with too few coconuts, maybe your rival has some you can kindly borrow," the presenter says suggestively. "Be cautious of your collection. Be creative, there are no limits."

Ally had tried to make contact with Austin, but he had not granted her the acknowledgement of her existence after his confrontation. She had to forget about it for now. If she couldn't make herself fully focus on the game, she wouldn't stand a chance. Especially knowing there were enough candidates who seemed ready to gladly push her over to make her hard work meaningless.

"Ready, set, go!" Everyone sprinted away, seeming to have their tactic already thought out. Ally had a different plan, though. You see, if everyone is planning on collecting the coconuts lying near the finish, there would never be enough for everyone. The safe choice, the one Ally chose as she had easily anticipated the problem, was to gather her four coconuts at the start and then casually making her way to the finish. If everything went as planned, the rest would be too busily occupied searching in the grass to notice her slipping through.

As the other four hurry over the nets, slightly rougher than usual, Ally takes her time to find the lightest coconuts. Seeing the others are already at the end, she feels safe enough to throw the coconuts over the obstacles before climbing over them herself. Unable to hold all four, she carries three and kicks one through the grass with her bare feet, which hurts quite a bit. Because she's too busy keeping her eyes on the coconut on the ground, she doesn't notice the stretched out leg in front of her until she trips over it.

She had been right, at least slightly, about the fact that the rest wouldn't pay attention to her. Nobody had seen her, except for one rather tall man. She had to drop the coconuts in order not to let her body crash down on them and she was now lying in the grass, a mean pain in her ankle as he hovers over her.

"Austin?" Her mouth drops open, refusing to believe he would actually sabotage her like that after they had spent weeks pulling each other through whatever test they had faced.

"Come on, princess. Don't be dramatic. It's just a game," he rolls his eyes in amusement before taking one of her coconuts. After a mocking bow, he makes his way to the finish and drops his collection in the basket.

"Austin is the winner!" She hears, but she doesn't care anymore. She doesn't care about anything. Slowly getting up from the grass, she sees the rest finally having collected all the coconuts. Picking up her three, she follows them to the end, slightly limping. "I'm sorry, Ally. You will have the black vote at tomorrow's selection."

"Whatever." The tears that were hidden behind her eyes just a second ago had made place for a look filled with shameless disgust she was now sending Austin's way.

"The privilege today is something you all will be willing to murder for, probably. Austin, you get to spend a night in a small cottage with a nice dinner, a shower and, to top it off, a real bed with a mattress and pillows." They were simple things, but, after not having the luxury for a long time, everyone was practically drooling at the thought. "And you won't have to enjoy it alone. You can choose one other candidate to join you."

The chance that he would pick Drew was practically solid, Ally figures as she breaks her angry stare to roll her eyes. Crossing her arms and letting out an impatient sigh, wondering with how many bug bites and sore muscles she would wake up tomorrow, she misses how Austin smirks at her. The presenter nods, gesturing him to make a choice.

"Ally, care to join me?"

* * *

She didn't know if she had had the option to refuse, but, even if she did, she was too stunned to object. So, that's how she found herself entering the cottage on a white beach surrounded by torches. Two queen-sized beds with soft bedding were so white it hurt her eyes are placed next to each other. One door leads to an equally white bedroom and the other leads outside, to a small table, where dinner was already served.

They hadn't exchanged a single word since they got onto the boat. Ally decides he's not up to much conversation, besides still being too angry with him, and immediately enters the bathroom to take a deserved, long, hot shower, even though she's dying to figure out _why_ he chose her to share the privilege with. After taking her time extensively washing her hair, she puts on her clean pyjamas and finds Austin already sitting at the dinner table. Sure, why _would_ he wait for her?

Keeping silent, she takes place on the opposite of him and plainly stares at him as he avoids her eyes. After a few seconds, she starts her dinner as well, though she can't keep her mouth shut.

"You know, what you did was plain cruel." This makes him look up, for just a second until he keeps ignoring her. "The game might've allowed it, but it wasn't fair. Not to me."

"Then I guess we're even." He sounds and looks tired as he stands up, leaving half of his food uneaten. He was clearly referring to the fact she had taken his daughter from him without hesitation, which some might describe as unethical, but was just a normal day at work for her. It was like he had taken her here to lash out at her, but wasn't able to find the energy for it. Following him as she refuses to be shut up by his smart defence, she leans against the wall as she watches him open the suitcase he has laying on one of the beds.

"Are you going to explain why you took me here, while you still seem to be incredibly pissed at me?" She asks him impatiently, but he keeps quiet. "So you're just ignoring me?" After waiting for him to react for a whole minute, she's had it and concludes this is the time to tell him everything she's been wanting him to know ever since he didn't show up at the trial. "You know, it's your fault you lost custody."

"Excuse me?" This catches his attention, besides fuelling the anger in him as he turns around with fire in his eyes. "Because of you, I can only see my daughter once per week."

"You are a drug addict," Ally spits at him, shutting him up instantly. "Aren't you? There was enough convincing evidence for the judge that your ex-wife provided me with."

"Is there anything Amy didn't tell you about me?" Neither confirming nor denying the statement, he has to pull every strength not to yell at her. This only amuses Ally as she chuckles, seeing Austin think the conversation is over as he turns away again.

"I'm surprised this show even let you participate," she speaks, more to herself than to Austin, which still doesn't impress him much. He keeps casually digging through his suitcase as Ally decides to step it up a notch. "And I never had the chance to ask; was finding a way to get a line of coke in your nose more important than Ariella?"

"Enough!" Austin turns around again, this time stepping towards her to roughly put his flat hand to the wall above her head in order to scare her. And it works, for a second, at least. After she manages to narrow her widened eyes again, Ally looks him in the eyes unimpressed, feeling his heavy breath on her. "You don't know anything about me." He brings his face closer to hers to make an impact.

"I know enough," she tells him cockily. "I had forgiven you for your mistakes and, yes, I have contributed to the fact that your daughter could stay with her mother, but you are responsible for your own misery." Uncrossing her arms, she pricks his shoulder. "I'm not the one you should blame, you should blame yourself."

"Shut up." He tightens his jaw, finding himself leaning closer and swallowing as his gaze falls on her lips. The tension is unbearable as they just catch their breaths from the passed heated argument.

"Make me," Ally hears herself say, courage washing over her. It was obvious to anyone, including her and most likely Austin, too, that those were the two probably most suggestive words in the English dictionary and she found herself using them without hesitation, knowing what event they usually led to. She shortly bites her bottom lip before bravely looking into his eyes. "Prick."

She sucks in a breath before Austin crashes his lips on hers, having no mercy as he moves them fast and rough, sucking before letting his hands roam over her hips until he grabs the back of her thighs. Immediately wrapping her arms around his neck as her legs wrap themselves around his waist, her tongue enters his mouth. After a minute of battling, he pulls back slightly to whisper against her lips.

"You think you're so smart, don't you?" He mumbles in which Ally sucks on his bottom lip as a reply. "Little lawyer know-it-all, while you're actually so incredibly oblivious."

"Bite me." She finds herself leaning in more, missing his lips on hers. Smirking, he refuses to grant her desire.

"Gladly." Pushing her back against the wall, Austin leans down to cover the sensitive spot in her neck with his mouth, teeth gently scraping over the flesh before biting down mildly. Her head falls back as she sighs, pushing their hips together with her ankles, earning an uncontrollably loud grunt from Austin. Without wasting any more time, he turns them around and throws Ally on the free bed, hovering over her immediately. Both their hands are busy removing the other's clothing as their lips reattach. Luckily, the indoor cameras had stopped recording once they noticed the fight included personal details.

* * *

 **Finished the last chapter yesterday. You guys want a sequel? Idkidk who knows what'll happen. See you next week!**

Guest chapter 6

Alright this is a great story what us your update schedule. Or is it just random **\- Hi! Thanks so much! I update weekly, every sunday around 10pm UTC+1.00 so make sure you keep an eye on your mail inbox or check the story around that time :)**

ocean chapter 6

OMG THE FEELS!

This chapter may just be my favorite so far!

IT WAS SOOO AMAZING AND PERFECT AND BEAUTIFUL!

Now I really want Austin and his daughter to reunite and everything.

What's Austin's daughter's name? And what is his ex wife's name?

Thank you for this amazing chapter and I can't wait for next week! **\- THANK YOU! If you paid attention, you'll have noticed the names in this chapter!**

ViaNearth11 chapter 5

My name's Via, but I hoped that you could use my BFF's name, Ariella. I think the name might fit well because Austin's a swimmer. **\- Thank you for giving me the amazing suggestion and letting me use your best friend's name. It fit perfectly!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi there, beautiful people**

 **I truly hope you enjoyed last chapter, I think you did and are glad that there's finally some action. Behold, the morning after. Always fun.**

 **Another rather long chapter for you guys, savor it. I should mention that this story has 11 chapters in total, so the end is coming up. I know I mentioned a sequel to this story, though I have no idea if that's coming. Sorry to get your hopes up like that. An epilogue is quite certain, though.**

 **Last week, I talked a bit to this sweet girl on Twitter who loved my very first story, Roles of a Lifetime, that I was proud of, and asked if there was any chance of a sequel (you guys must remember that one). Honestly, I finished that story with no intention of writing a sequel, since it was partly based on true facts (the show, the people) and things turned out different (no movie, Andrew/Courtney). Though, I find myself questioning if there might be a way to continue this story. If you have any ideas/would read the sequel if I would write it, please let me know!**

 **This particular morning, I feel quite shit, actually. I found out that I have to delete my feelings for a crush and, in the process, might have to step away from her friendship as well. Having to accept that your crush is hopeless and losing a friend, that's just a lot. Sorry for the personal info, just had to get that off my chest. If anyone has experience in deleting feelings, hit me up**

* * *

The moment Ally opens her eyes, it takes her a while to comprehend where she is, how she got in this awfully comfortable bed and why she is _naked._ One turn of her head clears most of the confusion. A mop of blond hair is laid out on a white pillow right next to her, Austin facing away from her as he's lying on his stomach. When following his arm who she finds sprawled across her stomach, she's shocked to see her own hand covering it, her fingers slipped between his own. In a reflex, she pulls it away, the fast motion resulting in Austin being disrupted in his sleep.

After waiting a minute to be sure she didn't wake him, Ally lifts his heavy arm off of her in order to escape the scene that she started the night before. The worst thing is that there wasn't even any alcohol to blame her actions on. So, now one final question haunts her; what the _hell_ had she been thinking?

Grabbing the nearest piece of clothing that was somewhat enough to cover everything that needed to be covered, she walks towards the shower. It wouldn't be long until the person she had been fighting with less than eight hours ago would find himself in an abandoned bed, looking for an explanation neither of them would be able to give.

Surely, she had been the one who made the first move. And that might not even be the thing that left her wondering most. The fact that Austin obliged, seemingly without hesitation, had shocked her, but he hadn't really given her much time to think about it. Her body hadn't either, remembering how it had reacted to his touch. It didn't help that her mind was clear enough to remember the whole event. Honestly, she just wanted to stay in the isolated shower forever, but she knew she had to face him sooner or later. She just hated not being in control of the situation and the fact that she could do nothing to change that.

Figuring her clothes were still scattered around the room, Ally chooses to dress in one of the fluffy bathrobes that were conveniently hanging next to her. Opening the door as silently as she could possibly manage, she finds her cautious movements had been pointless. She knew she had little time to prepare herself, but when she sees him already dressed in clean, short sweatpants. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he had been leaning his arms on his knees with his head down but looked up unconsciously as soon as she entered the room, making immediate eye contact with her.

"Oh. Hello." She drops her eyes immediately as she gives him the awkward, yet mandatory greeting in the situation.

"Hi." He sounds calmer than she feels, calmer than he's _supposed_ to be. Was she the only one who thinks whatever happened between them in the past twenty-four hours was extremely weird? They went from allies and great friends to hostile opponents, to... Whatever the hell they were supposed to be last night. Either way, she had no idea in what position they were in now, which made her insecure about what to say to him, if she should even say anything at all. He didn't sound half as anxious, as he was the one making an effort in keeping the conversation alive. "How did you sleep?"

"Fine," she says stiffly, attempting not to sound too rude. "You?" She adds out of decency.

"Fine as well." Ally nods at his answer, not knowing if he's even looking at her. While lowering herself on the bed, she looks over her shoulder subtly to see that he is, indeed, staring right at her. He doesn't look like he's about to leave the room anytime soon, so she postpones the plan to get dressed, herself. Just as she purses her lips at the unbearably painful atmosphere between them, Austin starts talking again. "Do you regret it?"

"What?" The oblivion doesn't sound as convincing as it did in her head and she shakes her head as a mental face palm. A blush creeps on her cheeks, making her turn her face away from his constant questioning eyes once again. "I don't... Know. I don't know."

She hears Austin sigh. "You were right about me, you know," he says, his voice quieter and finally matching her own distress. With wide eyes of confusion, she forgets her shame as she turns around on the bed to face Austin. "Last year, I fell into a depression and convinced myself that drugs were the only things that could make me happier, even for just a minute. The only reason I wanted to get better was for Ariella. I managed to get help, but it was too late. I was in rehab during the trial."

"I-I didn't know," Ally stutters, completely amazed at this sudden confession.

"The trial could not be postponed. I found myself again, but I lost my daughter." He nods, a painful expression covering his face, like this is the first time he's spoken about it in a while, maybe ever. "I guess all good things come with sacrifices."

Like a hunter approaching an easily startled deer, she slowly inches closer to him on the bed. "I'm so sorry, Austin. Last night I said some pretty awful things without knowing the full story and I regret every bit of it. I had no right of speaking like that." The waterfall of hurting words she had spilled a few hours ago had hit him like daggers and there was no way to justify that, but Austin seemed like he forgave her, much to Ally's surprise. "From what I've been privileged to see, Ariella truly loves you. I believe you're an amazing dad."

A response doesn't come from his lips, but he shoots her a thankful look. Ally is about to move back to her side of the bed again, glad to finally have settled this disagreement that had caused so many problems, but, at the same time, also was a motive for last night, when Austin leans forward to capture her lips. His complete unannounced move catches her by surprise, given by a small yelp she makes once she feels the butterflies which immediately present themselves in her stomach.

The feeling also answers the question she had about last night; whether she regretted anything. As she enjoys the lovely reaction once the power of surprise wears off, it's clear to her that she doesn't want him to stop. Ever. And since _he_ kissed _her_ makes her believe he feels the same way. Last night was nothing but the start of something beautiful, something they would figure out together. The kiss only lasted a few seconds and her eyes are still open when Austin removes his warm lips off of hers.

"I'm sorry," he quickly states, finding her still semi-wide eyes as a result of the presumably unwanted attack. Turning away in embarrassment, he starts to stand up when Ally's hand wraps around his pulse to pull him back.

"No, it's okay." Shyly smiling at him, she makes it obvious the kiss was anything but a mistake, just like the event of the night before. Without taking her eyes off of him, she grabs one of his hands and intertwines their fingers. "That was nice."

* * *

Not long after, the familiar little white boat arrives to pick them up again. With freshly washed hair and bodies, Austin helps Ally aboard before they take off. They sit in silence for a while before Austin notices Ally is far from content about returning to the island. After watching her fiddle her fingers, releasing an unconscious sigh every so often, he lightly brushes her hair from her face to catch her attention.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He asks her with care. She shrugs once, trying to make clear that it's not a big deal, besides it being hers to deal with.

"I'm going home tonight." That's when the reminder hits him. She ended last in the test, meaning she already had one extra vote in the selection. And with the very few candidates left, this was basically a one-way ticket off the island. There was very little Ally could do to change it and they both knew it. Only, Austin was having none of that.

"I'm not letting that happen," he says determinedly. Ally shoots him a confused and hesitating look in which Austin scoots closer to her. "We have the power remember?"

Something Ally had forgotten, was that Austin had _won_ the test. This meant he had two votes to cast at the selection tonight, meaning that anything could still happen. If they managed to play their cards right, Ally would be able to escape her faith in the nick of time.

"Ally, it'll be okay. I promise," Austin smiles fondly, a plan forming in his head. Hiding a hopeful smile, Ally looks away. With a simple gesture, Austin touches her chin to make her look him in the eyes again. "Do you trust me?"

Ally nods, pursing her lips with a giggle. "I do."

"Good." Austin copies her smile before taking a quick look at the approaching island. "In order for this to work, we need to pretend last night didn't happen. We need to make them believe we can't stand each other. Only then, my plan has a chance of succeeding," he explains. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, I understand." Ally backs away from him before the rest of the candidates could spot them. Raising one eyebrow, she punches his shoulder. "So, what does this magnificent plan of yours intend anyway?"

"You'll find out soon."

"Oh, come on!" Rolling her eyes, she makes sure he knows how offended she is. "I should know, I'm the main subject of the whole thing!"

"Patience, young one," he reassures her with a flirty wink. "Let me take care of this."

* * *

As soon as the couple enters the beach, they split ways. It surprises Ally how quickly and convincing Austin plays his part. He scoffs at her as he walks away from her in which Drew flashes her a satisfied grin. As far as he knows, the two are quite the enemies which only improves his chances to win the game. If the two are too busy scratching each other's eyes out to help each other like they used to do, Drew could snatch the trophy right from under their noses. Or so he thought.

They find out, once they only see two others on the island, that another test had taken place when they were away. One short evaluation on the famous, yet dreaded, balance beam had taken out Oliver. This had broken the pact he had made with Rebecca, making her an easy target. Without her friend, she felt lost and alone, and she would probably lay her faith in the hands of anyone who seemed trustworthy.

They had been told that the selection would take place tonight, so the time they've got was very little. After putting her feelings aside, Ally puts on her best façade. With a frown on her face, she stays far away from Austin and anyone else on the island. She figures that the fewer people she speaks with, she smaller chance she has to make a slip of the tongue and ruin everything.

Though, from the corner of her eye, she watches Austin as he talks to the rest and notices his plan develop, even though she still had no idea what it was. She had just returned to her trusted fishing spot when an obvious cough sounds behind her. As she takes a quick look over her shoulder, she finds Austin who gives her a saying look before nodding his head to the woods behind them. Watching him disappear between the maze of trees, she glances at the other two who were too busy making a fire to notice them.

Getting up as quietly and unnoticeably as possible, she follows Austin. Once she stands in the middle of the forest, she realizes he could've walked anywhere and the directions to head are endless. She takes a few more unsure steps before an arm appears from behind a particularly thick trunk and grabs her pulse, pulling her. Before she realizes, she falls against Austin's chest.

"Hey," she greets him breathlessly in which he smiles at her and she realizes how much she has missed him. Austin looks around to check no one had followed them, except for the camera which they had grown familiar with seeing everywhere around them, and lets go of her.

"Two things," he speaks as he leans his back against the tree, his face serious again. "Everything is set. Drew is still convinced I'm on his side. I managed to convince Rebecca that Drew is aiming at her. She thinks I'm helping her to send him home tonight."

"Is there anything I need to do?" Ally offers.

"You have one last extra vote, right?" She nods in response, remembering how Austin had used two of his when they had made a plan with Drew so Austin wouldn't get sent away. "This selection will be the final one, I'm pretty sure. You have to cast your extra vote on Rebecca."

"I will." She doesn't question his plan any more, because, honestly, she trusts Austin has got everything covered. Releasing a relieved breath, she cocks her head as she shoots him a questioning look as she remembers how he had greeted her. "So, what was the second thing?"

Austin grins excitedly. "This."

With two hands, he grabs her face to bring it closer to his, slamming his lips on hers like he has no more time to lose. Breathing in sharply, she smiles in the kiss as she grabs the fabric of the front of his shirt tightly, parting her lips to deepen the kiss. It's so different from the night before since the two both knew exactly what they were doing now. No unconscious doubts or blames on the spur of the moment, just the two of them.

They could both tell the other had desired this ever since their last touch. Ally couldn't possibly get closer to Austin as she has pushed her body against his, Austin feeling the rough material of the wood through his clothes. After a few minutes, Ally lowers herself again, feeling the exhausting pain of standing on her tippy toes for too long. As they wait until the sense in the lips returns, they just stare at each other.

"Wow," Austin whispers, grinning at the wrinkles Ally's hands had left in his shirt.

"I've missed you." Ally bites her lip as her arms find their way around his neck.

"I've missed you, too." Kissing her forehead, he gives her the same butterflies she had missed badly. "I'm sorry you have to go through this, all the pretending."

"It's the game," she shrugs. "Thank you for doing all of it for me. I really don't deserve it." Ally bites her tongue after the last sentence, that was just her guilt talking, slipped out.

"Don't say that." Austin frowns at her negativity as he brushes a strand of hair from her face. "There's no one I'd rather have by my side in the finale." Austin laughs mischievously as he fakes a doubting expression. "Besides, Rebecca had been an actual threat, while you-"

"You did not just say that! We both know I'm better than you on a lot of fronts," Ally makes effort to keep her laugh quiet, but doesn't hold back hitting Austin's chest roughly.

"I didn't get placed on this planet to stroke your ego, sweetheart." Raising his eyebrows cockily, he winks at her.

"Found a replacement, have you?" She asks, driving at his usual nickname for her.

Austin nods proudly. "Though, I don't think anything will be as suitable as the original 'princess'."

"Wouldn't want to forget our origin." While teasingly brushing her lips against Austin's, she sees him catching his breath. "Prick."

"Austin, we need you for dinner!" A loud voice that could only belong to Drew echoes through the trees, luckily far enough. He doesn't sound like he's planning on coming to find him. A disappointed sigh comes from both their lips, their moment being cut short.

"Coming!" Austin yells, turning his head in the direction of Drew's voice, his tone sounding somewhat annoyed.

"Sounds familiar," Ally chuckles, meaning how he had used the phrase at a certain point the night before.

The irritated frown disappears in a heartbeat, making place for an attempt to hide his smile. "You're the worst."

Ally giggles to hide the way she's struggling with going back to not being able to be with him again. Though, Austin knows better than to be fooled by her by now and pulls her into a bone-crushing hug. Taking their time to be skin to skin for the last time in a few hours, nuzzling their noses in the crooks of the other's necks they breathe in each other's scents.

"See you in a bit," Austin whispers. Ally nods before releasing him. After placing a quick kiss on her cheek, he hurries back to the camp. Ally waits a few minutes before making her way back to the beach as well, careful to make a detour and exit the woods from a different point. Not that anyone would notice.

* * *

 **I cannot even start to explain how content I am with how this chapter turned out. I'm so happy I was able to produce something I'm so proud of and to have people reading it. I'll see you in a week.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Heyy people**

 **Hope you all had a great week. I've been more chill than ever after having my first ever uni exam and final assignment, allowing me to take a break from my stress, school wise and personal wise**

 **I'd like to thank everyone who wished me luck on my crush situation. I'll pull through, I've decided to focus on myself for a while and cut back on taking initiative. Gotta forget about her one way or another**

 **Back to the story, we're approaching the end of the game and also of the story. I think you'll appreciate this chapter, it's quite cute, I think.**

* * *

Austin and Ally hadn't exchanged a single look after their meeting, which was absolutely necessary to keep the others oblivious. The last ever selection was in less than an hour and the tension was noticeable. Just like every night before a selection, the nerves cut off all the conversation as the four packed their bags, just in case the odds were not in their favour and they had to leave the island at once. Silently, the duo kept their eyes on the other two candidates.

Rebecca kept sending hidden looks of distrust to Drew, who luckily did not pick up on them. After hearing Austin's lie, she was too busy thinking they had made a pact against Drew to even second guess the sudden twist in her original plan of casting her vote on Ally. Drew, on the other hand, was already convinced of his spot in the finale. Ally had rather not found herself battling Drew, but she knew that manipulating Rebecca was the safest choice. Drew was too smart even to consider jeopardizing his chances.

Once they arrived at the same spot they had spent many anxious nights, Rebecca and Drew took place on the little bench in the first row, causing the secret couple to be placed on the one behind them. As soon as everyone sat down, Austin presses a hasty kiss on Ally's cheek. She has to mask her gasp with a cough, before sending Austin a warning look. Soon after, though, she realizes the only one who could see them, were the presenter and the cameras, who were both very aware of their little secret. When connecting eyes with her boyfriend again after the realization had hit her, she grabs his hand and keeps them connected between them.

"Treasure this moment, candidates, as this will be the last time you'll be here," the presenter starts his speech, looking at the group. "Today's selection will determine who are the final three candidates and who will be the one who misses the boat." Drew smiles cockily, assuming he's already got the win in the bag, causing Rebecca to raise a knowing eyebrow as she thinks the night will be going according to _her_ plan. "Even though there are just four of you left, the game isn't over yet. Anything can still happen."

In no time, all votes have been cast, also Ally's extra one that was a secret to most others. As the presenter collects the chest with the votes, he waits a few more seconds to add suspension, enjoying the faces filled with distress. Then, one at the time, he reveals the votes. Already after he shows the second vote, Rebecca and Drew notice something is wrong. They exchange a quick look, helpless, as the damage is already done.

As soon as the chest is shown empty, Rebecca realizes her loss. Ally has two votes, one caused by her last place and one from Drew. Drew, himself, has one from Rebecca and Rebecca received three, from Austin, Ally, and Ally's extra vote. Rebecca's eyes fall, recognizing her oblivion that had resulted in elimination.

"I can honestly admit that I've never seen more and better plans, allies and manipulations as in preparation for this particular night. And there's one person that suffered most from this." All eyes land on the blonde girl, pitying her before they can celebrate their win. "Rebecca, it's time to say goodbye."

* * *

The three got sent back to the island, together with some energy bars that the cameras didn't record, of course, without exchanging any words. As soon as Drew managed to lead the other two away from the cameras, he had told them this 'act', as he had called it, would change nothing for him. "Whether you two are clawing each other's eyes out or make out in front of me, I will win that finale," he had attempted to sound the tiniest bit dangerous. Austin and Ally had simply shrugged.

At least he hadn't shown any offense because of the twist of the evening, not that they would've cared if he had. He probably was just content they hadn't come after him and instead chose Rebecca. To be safe, the couple hadn't spoken of any tactics they would use the next morning. Not that they had any idea what they could expect or how they would deal with it.

Less than 12 hours later, the three stood on a beach they had never set foot on before. The smooth, white sand lacked the pebbles and twigs other beaches had had, which had caused some awful cuts and bruises. It was safe to say the finalists were surprised the toughest test would take place on this comfortable surface.

"Drew, Ally, and Austin," the presenter starts. "You have spent nearly a month on this island. Beating nine other candidates." The three take a moment to let it sink in. They had truly been stronger, smarter, sneakier than nine other men and women who had trained for this competition just as hard as they had. Those candidates had been just as fierce and determined to win and yet, had faced the moment they realized it had not been enough.

"The Expedition Robinson finale has always been among the final three candidates. Except for this year." Ally is being pulled back to reality as the presenter voices this sudden twist. The two men beside her also look surprised. "The last four people that got outvoted didn't get sent home. They got sent to _another_ deserted island, not too far from yours."

"There they had to battle each other in order to stay in the race. In secret. One candidate was strong enough to beat the rest in small tests and survive on their own," the presenter smiles at their faces of disbelief and gestures to the woods behind them. "And this candidate will join you in the finale."

Ally is first to look over her shoulder and sees the mystery candidate already walking behind them. She looks stronger, somehow, more confident and packed with determination to win, something the fragile girl had lacked the time she had been in the race. There was one thing that was unmistakable, the anger on her face shining through her satisfied smirk.

"Rachel," Ally whispers, her jaw dropping. Rachel had kept her eyes on Ally the whole time like the girl was enjoying being in charge for a chance. The fire in her eyes seemed to be there just to show Ally she hadn't forgotten about how she had been tricked to leave the island.

"I'm back, bitch," Rachel said in a tone that could not be mistaken as teasing in any way. "And this time I won't let you get rid of me that easily."

* * *

The presenter had explained the course of the long and difficult test, but Ally had not been able to focus on his words, rather kept glancing at Rachel, who looked calmer than ever. The dirty looks she had sent Ally's way had made place for complete and utter attention and fanaticism. Ally's awakened from her trance by Austin, who grabs her hand.

"You okay?" He asks as everyone makes their way towards the first element. A small nod doesn't reassure him. "Look, don't focus on her, okay? She's just trying to get in your head. We still have the advantage. Together, we're twice as strong. Just focus on the challenges, you can do it." Planting a kiss on the back of her hand, he manages to calm her down. A soft scoff behind Ally makes her turn around.

"I was right after all," Rachel laughs bitterly, letting her know she had seen them together. "I hope you'll feel satisfaction from winning unfairly, if you do, Ally. Was betraying others worth it?" She scoffs after glancing at Austin shortly. "Don't think you'll see him ever again after you hand him that title."

There was no time for Ally to shut down her prejudices as everyone was told to get in place. The anger that started to build up inside her nearly threw her off her game, probably the result Rachel had hoped for, but the loving wink from a now even more determined Austin turned the irritation into energy and passion. She _had_ to beat Rachel. That was what was important right now. Rachel might look tough, but there was a big chance she still was the weak, unbalanced girl she knew. Forcing herself to take her eyes off the girl she _despised_ , she looks at the first challenge, trying to remember what they were supposed to do in a few seconds.

That's when she remembers; they were supposed to build a raft and reach the island on opposite of them. The other island wasn't far, but building a raft was something she had never done before. The other's hadn't either, luckily, judged by their puzzled looks as they were trying to figure out how the hell they would be able to make an actual floating raft out of these few thin logs and some pieces of string. Before they could speculate any further, the starting shot sounded.

The four candidates started to drag the logs over each other, hoping to find the perfect way to tie them together. They had been told they were not allowed to look at the others, to prevent cheating, so everyone kept their eyes on their own work. Not that there was anything to see, everyone seemed to struggle as much as the others. Though, that was not the case. Austin knew exactly what he was doing as he neatly tied a few strings together. Not only was it frustrating to have no idea if you're doing the right thing, but the logs also weren't exactly small, nor light. This was definitely the toughest test they had encountered, and it was just beginning.

Then, in the corner of her eye, she sees Austin trying to get her attention by patting the sand between them. Looking at the cameras, she quickly decides she's not doing anything wrong. As long as she doesn't look at his work, she's not cheating. Subtly, she lets her eyes fall on his hand. There, she finds, Austin had drawn something that looked like a simplistic blueprint of how the raft was supposed to look like. Apparently, the key to a good raft was tying six logs together, before attaching the other four on a row on top and the bottom alternatively. Scared to look at him, guessing that wouldn't be appreciated by the presenter, she drew a small heart as thanks next to his drawing.

Even with a plan, it took quite a long time to tie everything together in the right way. Though, it seemed like no one had noticed their little exchanged. After ten minutes, Austin stands up and pushes his neatly looking raft in the rising tide. This gave him a huge advantage and he started paddling in the direction of the opposite shore. Soon enough, Ally was satisfied with her work as she wiped the sweat from her forehead, admiring her acceptable looking raft. While picking up her paddle, she shoots a quick look to the other two who had already been in the water a few times, only to find out their excuse for a raft would sink as soon as they would stand on top of it. Still puzzling, they tried to find correct tactic.

It took Ally quite some time to reach the island, the muscles in her arms not being the strongest ones she possessed. By the time she reaches the coast, she sees Austin bent over a table. When running to the table beside him, she finds one of Austin's weaknesses.

"How's it going?" Ally asks, eying the slide puzzle in front of her. The numbers one to fifteen were placed in squares in the table. Only when they managed to place them in order, they could grab the key in the square that would remain uncovered.

"Shit," he answers shortly. Even though Ally was usually the one to help Austin in puzzles, not only was this particular one very difficult to help someone else with, it took little to no skill. Just luck. Which was, still, something Ally hated. Without saying another word, Ally starts moving the wooden squares. Only a few minutes later, Drew appears by her side and soon enough, also Rachel arrives. The lead they once had, had disappeared completely, all because of a stupid puzzle they were all equal again. Just the sound of wood edges hitting each other could be heard as everyone tried their best to beat the game.

Then, out of nowhere, Ally saw the solution. In just a few moves, the satisfying sight of all fifteen numbers lying in the correct order was lied out. Grabbing the key, she's about to sprint to the next part when her eyes fall on Austin. She knows there's very little she can do to help him, but, nevertheless, she takes place in front of him. Two pairs of eyes see more than one, after all. They're lucky neither Drew nor Rachel seem to be any closer to finishing than Austin, so the pressure of having to catch up with them is missing.

Ally lets out a happy squeal when she points at the last few numbers that have to be moved. Austin looks at them confused, before finally seeing the way they have to be arranged. With one hand he grabs the key off his table, with the other, he grabs Ally's hand before he's being dragged to the following element.

The path leads them upwards, which is a good thing, Ally reckons. She guesses the final part must take place on the top of the hill. Once they arrive at the top, though, they see nothing more than four familiar, black cooking pots and the subjective is clear. Though, Ally doubts that a task as easy as making fire could be the final part. There is no time for her to ask Austin, as he's already taken place in front of one of the pots. With just a few reminding indications, Ally helps Austin to start his fire while she easily lights hers. Just a few moments later, his fire burns through the tiny string. This is the moment Ally looks around confused.

"So, what now?" She asks Austin as he gets up.

"The cliff," he speaks slowly as he wonders why she didn't remember what they were supposed to do. By nodding towards the abyss, Ally's eyes widen in fear. "We have to jump off of it."

"Wha-what? You're kidding, right?" Her voice shakes audibly.

"It's just a cliff, they wouldn't have included it if it was dangerous," Austin reminds her before looking at a point behind them. "Besides, our lead is getting smaller."

Ally glances over her shoulder to see Rachel running towards the pots, Drew on her heels. She wasn't sure how fast they were in making a fire, but it definitely wasn't the hardest test, meaning their lead was definitely in danger.

"You've done it before, remember?" Austin grabs her hand once again just as Ally remembers exactly how she had stood on the edge of a cliff like this a few weeks ago. Though, this jump might be just a few feet bigger. It seems so long ago, yet she recalls how safe she had felt beside him. That feeling hadn't changed a bit. "I'm right here, just like then. I'm not letting anything happen to you."

"Alright." She nods, accepting her faith. There really wasn't any other option to choose from.

"We'll jump together if you want." Austin squeezes her hand. Nodding, she takes a deep breath. During Austin's countdown, they look down on the flat surface of the ocean, no rocks or waves to break their fall. And they jump.

In a matter of seconds, they reach the surface and quickly let go of each other's hands to safely land. Ally can't help but break out in ebullient laughter, feeling her nerves disappear. Austin gestures they have to continue immediately, knowing either Rachel or Drew are about to jump off as well.

The final test is placed on a platform right before the coast of another island. Luckily for Ally, it's something she excels at. One balance beam for each candidate is all that separates them from victory. Though, that's not all. Right above the beams, a few enormous wrecking balls swing from side to side, making trespassing a little bit more difficult. Besides the danger of losing your balance, the slow swinging balls had the opportunity to sweep you off if you lingered too long at one point. Climbing on the platform again would cost a lot of energy.

After giving each other an encouraging nod, the two step on their beam. Legs and bodies shake as they try their best to remain as much balance as they possibly can. There are three wrecking balls total, two in the middle of the two beams and one sneakily placed above the resting spot that connects the two beams, invalidating the name 'resting spot'. Both fall off as they try to duck the first ball. While swimming back, they see Rachel approaching. Logic, as Drew has never been talented at making a fire.

Quickly, Ally jumps on the beam again. Ignoring whatever happens beside her, she focusses on just herself. If Rachel beats her, she'll never be able to stop blaming herself. Surprisingly, she finishes the first beam in her second try. Calming her breathing, she stops her pace in front of the resting spot, where the second ball is swinging steadily. She has less than a second to step onto the platform and put her foot on the second beam before the ball comes swimming back, she estimates. If she fails to find a good position for her food on the narrow beam, she will surely fall off.

After watching the ball swing by a few times, she takes her chance. Thinking she has more time than she actually does, she is hit on the shoulder as she's about to step off the platform. Even though the ball isn't as heavy as anyone would suspect, it does throw off her balance. Using every muscle, she manages to stay put. Quickly setting her other foot on the beam, she moves out of the course of the wrecking ball. She lets out a shaky breath in relief but also knows she can't mess it up now, or she'll have to start all over again. Refusing to check on the others, she keeps going.

The last wrecking ball, she succeeds in avoiding after studying its movements carefully. With just a few more steps, she lands on the large platform at the end. Completely out of breath because of the exertion and disbelief that she arrived at the end first, she immediately tries to catch Austin's eyes.

"Austin, we did it!" She yells, but fails to spot the man. Instead, she sees Rachel approaching in a dangerously fast tempo. Almost past the resting platform, she's only seconds away from standing in the same spot as Ally. And then Ally remembers she's not quite there yet.

"Ally!" She hears Austin's familiar voice. He had most likely just fallen off one of the beams as he was in the process of climbing on top of the first platform. He didn't seem in a hurry, though. Pointing behind her, he raises his voice. "Light the fire! You have to light the fire!"

At this point, Rachel was almost halfway the second beam and Ally knew time was running out. Quickly turning around, she finds four torches, all being lit. Grabbing the one with her name on it, she's about to light the fire in the wok when she hesitates. Something about it doesn't feel right.

"What are you waiting for? Hurry!" She hears Austin yell. He had helped her through this competition. She wouldn't feel like it was fair to win this by herself. They had spent so much time together, helping each other that it felt like they could win together. Somehow, it had never crossed her mind that, in the end, only one could win. And, seeing how the situation was now, it would be her. Though, she didn't know if she truly deserved it more than Austin did.

"But, Austin-," she protests weakly when he interrupts her angrily.

"Do it!" He yells. "Now!"

Just as Rachel steps on the final platform, Ally lights the fire. It's over.

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoyed that! I'm off watching TATINOF again, probably. See you next time!**

Guest chapter 8

This story is amazing. I've loved ALL of the chapters. I wonder if Drew will try to "persuade" Ally to help him. That would set Austin on fire. - **WOW, I can't believe I didn't think of that, what is a story of mine without jealousy, eh? That would've been absolutely awesome, can you imagine?**

jcarter692 chapter 8

This chapter was so amazing, definitely one of my favs so far! I love that she apologized & he felt comfortable enough to be honest with her. I really loved that they made up & are moving forward I building a relationship. They're so good together, everything was written so perfectly beautiful! Thanks for the update, can't wait for the next! :) Also, I hope everything goes well with your situation. I've dealt with that a few times. It took time for me to let my feelings go completely, but eventually I did. **\- Thank you for all those lovely compliments! Thanks :) I'm glad it turned out okay! I hope you haven't suffered from that too much, I'm still in the process of letting go and I know how much it hurts**

ocean chapter 8

I'm sooooo sorry about the deleting of feelings for your crush you were talking about at the beginning! Its really hard to lose such a strong relationship and I hope you are alright.

This chapter fulfilled and exceeded all of my Ausally needs.

Roles of a lifetime was actually the first Raura story I read and I would love a sort of sequel, but I also would just love another Raura story (an au yo your au of sorts).

I can't wait for the last few chapters and I am beyond excited for the epilogue.

Until next Sunday.

PS. I am also posting comments under the name EverAfterforLife when I read thus fics on my phone. That is why is didn't comment under the name ocean last week. **\- Thank you so much, that means a lot xx I hope I'll be able to create an idea for a sequel at some point in the future, I'll keep you posted, though. Ah, I think that's the case for a lot of people. It's still the story I'm most proud of for personal reasons. Don't worry, I always see your reviews, and they make me very happy :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi there! I'm enjoying my autumn break on my period and with a healing crack in my heart. So dramatic. But that's just who I am.**

 **Hope ya'll like seeing the couple off the island for the first time. Enjoy one of the final few chapters!**

* * *

Ally doesn't remember much after that. Because she found herself being unable to cheer out of bewilderment, it was awfully quiet after she lit the fire, except for the distant cry of joy coming from Austin. After finally reaching him by walking back over the beams, the wrecking balls now having stopped swinging, he hugged her tightly. Both Rachel and Drew had congratulated her, simply because the cameras were pointed at her. A few hours later, the plane heading towards civilization took off, carrying four physically and mentally exhausted candidates, the foresight of meeting their loved ones again creating satisfied smiles on their faces.

Since the viewers at home lagged a few days, they would have to wait half a week to see the finale. And, even then, they wouldn't get to see who won. The final few minutes would not get aired until the 'reunion' that would take place a week after the unfinished finale. All candidates return to talk about the journey that they had taken on the show, discuss certain important moments and watch significant bits of the show, considering none of the final few candidates had ever seen the cut and edited recorded shots of themselves.

As soon as Austin and Ally had returned to their internet possessing homes, they found out their slowly developing relationship on the show had not gone unnoticed. Quite the contrary, actually. Some found it more exciting and moving than the game itself. Ally didn't feel like reading through all the comments on the social platforms, at first, but the game had changed her somewhat. Even though she had always wanted to stay away from all media attention, ever since she had decided to participate in the show, the media had searched for her, found her, and had not let her go. It was easy to get used to.

It was strange to see pictures and short videos of herself the fans had posted all over Twitter. Especially the moments she hadn't even known a camera was pointed at her, like the time she had been singing a soft song during her first time fishing alone, while she had let herself be amazed at the sights in front of her. Or the moment she had shared with Austin during the feast after they had granted themselves the pleasure of alcohol for the first time in weeks and the heat of the small fire in front of them warmed their blushed cheeks even more.

The producers of the show had encouraged them to appear in public, figuring their relationship was one of the reasons for the high ratings this season, but stay platonic when they were together. It would let the public wonder whether or not they were still a couple and increase the suspense. They had merely shrugged at the proposition. The idea of using their relationship to attract more views was absurd to them, but they couldn't blame the producers for seeing it that way. The contract they had signed at the start had made them promise to follow their orders as much as they could. So, today, Austin had convinced Ally to take a walk in the park to admire the freshly fallen snow in New York, maybe get a pretzel and some frozen yoghurt in the process.

After attacking each other's faces with the sweet, frozen substance, they took a stroll through central park. Talking about the show, the other candidates, and their personal lives, they spent their time laughing and getting to know each other better, something they didn't get the chance to do on the island. All in all, it's the first time they can spend time together without being watched. Minus the possibility of paparazzi, of course.

"The idea of people watching us makes me nervous," Ally giggles while the untouched snow squeaks under the soles of her shoes. She happily bites into her warm pretzel, the salt tickling her lips. "I feel like a teenage girl again, keeping her older boyfriend a secret from her parents."

"God, you make me feel 18 again." Austin throws his napkin in a garbage bin as they exit the park. Just before crossing the street, he takes Ally's free hand, interlacing their fingers.

"Austin, we're not supposed to be doing-" she does not get the chance to finish her sentence as Austin pulls her to one of the columns decorating an apartment's front entrance, hiding both of them behind them.

"Doing what?" Grinning, he brings their intertwined hands to his chest and brushes his nose against hers. His other hand is quickly placed on her hip.

"There are a lot of people with cameras on their phones here," Ally sighs weakly, her eyes fluttering closed once Austin's lips approach hers, but don't grant her the pleasure just yet. Instead, he presses butterfly kisses all over her cheek, jaw, and neck.

"If only there was a simple way out of this risk carrying situation." The snicker coming from Austin is suggestive, yet he shows no sign of moving anytime soon. And neither is Ally, who fails to let the words get through.

"If only," Ally nods breathlessly before recognizing her surroundings, the column, the apartment building that included _her_ apartment. When catching Austin's eyes again, she notices the smirk he attempts to hide, secretly mocking his ability to play her so easily.

She blinks a few times to rid herself of the haze that had gotten rid of her ability to think straight. "I mean," she starts but is faced, once again, with Austin's know-it-all smirk. Mentally cursing herself for being so easily influenced by him, she pulls him towards the entrance of the building. "Let's just go."

"Great idea." Austin willingly lets himself drag along until Ally comes to an abrupt stop as she's about to enter the elevator. Looking in the reflection of the elevator mirrors, her eyes focus on a point behind them.

"Is that paparazzi?" She asks him in shock in which he quickly drops her hand and looks behind him, meeting absolutely no sign of cameras. When he turns back to Ally, the doors are closing as she's shooting him a sweet smile, obviously content with her revenge. "Call me," she mouths, holding her thumb and pinky stretched next to her head, imitating a mobile phone, just she disappears behind the closing doors.

* * *

"Isn't tonight the show's finale?" They're lying on her couch, Ally's head resting on Austin's lap, as some 90's movie fills the television screen that neither of them is really paying attention to. Instead, Ally was mindlessly playing with Austin's hand that was lying on her stomach, now looking up as Austin was showing the tweet on his phone reminding the fans to tune in. "Do you want to watch it?"

Ally shrugs, not showing much desire to follow that plan. "I hate watching myself, especially doing any type of exercise."

He snickers. "Don't you want to relive the glory?"

She stays silent for a few seconds in reply. "I can't believe you're not even remotely mad about me snatching the title right from under your nose," she says softly, guilt that she had never shown before now colouring her words.

"And I can't believe you were crazy enough to hesitate at the finish," he replies in disbelief. When Ally refuses to look him in the eyes, he moves his leg slightly, Ally's head on his lap moving with them. She bites her lip doubtfully as she finally meets his gaze. "You deserved that win more than anyone there." He finishes his reassurance by lifting her hand to his lips, causing a slight smile on Ally's lips. "And to think Rachel almost took it away from you."

Ally sighs softly, still regretting how the way the game had progressed had ruined what could've been a great friendship. "I haven't even heard of her since the finale."

"I have." Ally looks at Austin confused until he hands her his phone, along with an explanation. Apparently, there has been a massive war between her and your fans on Twitter ever since she got outvoted."

"Are you serious?" Ally gasps, moving to sit upright as she scrolls through the thousands of tweets about their trifle, hating how awful the word 'war' sounds.

"It's clear who has the bigger fanbase, but things will get seriously heated during the finale tonight," he explains. Ally would lie if she said she hadn't seen the increase of followers on her personal Twitter account, despite it being quite abandoned. She wasn't trying to be 'relatable' like other semi-famous candidates might by posting mindless tweets about her day, just some retweets about the show showed on her timeline. When scrolling through the hashtag the creators of the show had made up, '#RachelvsAlly', she noticed an obviously larger amount were rooting for her. Still, besides supportive tweets, also some harsh tweets about Rachel had been published.

"I don't want them to fight." She shakes her head determinedly before giving Austin his phone back.

"It's Twitter; there will always be a feud between people with different likes and opinions." Austin shrugs simply.

"I have to do something about it." After grabbing her phone from the side table, thereby leaning over Austin, she sits back down by flopping her legs ungraciously over his lap from the side. Typing the first personal tweet in, probably, a year, she hopes to calm the feud just a tiny bit. "Let's all remember that Expedition Robinson is just a game and the candidates are real people with real feelings. Play nice, shall we?"

"That's very mature of you." Austin grabs her hips to pull her fully on his lap as soon as she sends the tweet.

"Has anything I've ever done proven you otherwise?" She giggles, moving her legs on either side of his hips, her phone thrown somewhere on the coffee table, seemingly being far less interesting all of a sudden.

"You're making valid points," he whispers, moving his face closer to hers.

"I'm a lawyer, it's kind of what I do," she whispers in return, a smile sneaking on her lips.

"Remind me not to get into an argument with you."

Ally snickers sarcastically. "An argument? With my boyfriend who eats my popcorn stack? More likely than you think."

"That's no fair!" He gasps. "You have, like, an emergency supply, it's selfish to keep it al to yourself!"

"You have, like, an addiction." The words escape her mouth before she can stop them. She squeezes her eyes shut while whispering 'fuck' to herself. Sucking in a breath, she avoids his eyes by burrowing her face in his shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

He stays silent for a few seconds, giving her the feeling she has ruined it all before he speaks up again.

"Hey, calm down. Don't worry about it." With a soft gesture, he brushes a brown lock behind her ear, easily assuring her she shouldn't feel bad about the slip-up. "How do you feel about meeting Ariella soon?"

The simple question tells her he loves her enough to introduce her to the most important person in his life, but also the person she had purposely taken away from him. He had forgiven her.

She smiles widely, nodding eagerly, after kissing him. "I'd absolutely love that."

* * *

The following days, the two stayed indoors mostly, Austin's apartment, this time. Only stepping outside for the bare necessities, like food and the occasional fresh air was needed. Human contact, they had enough. The finale, and every reaction to it went by unnoticed by the two, since they had better things to do than keep track of Twitter and other social platforms. No, they had intended to spend this short week together, no distractions of any kind.

Though, the viewers hadn't seen the finale until the end. The final few minutes had been scrapped and saved until the next episode, which was today. Today was the day that all twelve candidates would assemble to watch the final bit, talk about their experience, and, of course, crown the winner, live on screen. It was the first time Austin and Ally would be able to appear side by side on camera, off the island, without consequences. Saying they were looking forward to it was a mild way of putting it.

But, for now, they had about ten more hours of privacy, isolation, and complete serenity until the big ceremony that evening. And Ally would not let it go to waste, in contrast to Austin, who was still peacefully snoring after a rather restless night. After getting partly dressed - a shirt and panties were sufficient -, she scavenges for any kind of object that could help her wake him up. Spotting one of her black panties under the bed, she stretches it between two index fingers, tries to remember Austin's tips on bettering her aim for one of the tests, and shoots.

It was safe to say those tips hadn't gotten through because, while she had intended to hit him on the chest, the lacy material landed right on his forehead. With quite some speed, though, as you could hear a good _slap_ when it hit him. It turns out she _had_ learned something from his tutoring.

The impact was successful either way. His eyes fly open and after a second of, most likely, trying to wrap his head around whatever just woke him from his sleep, he spots the lingerie used as catapult and Ally, still frozen in her attack stance, surprise and a suppressed laugh hidden.

And then, like a green light suddenly lit up, Austin seemed to jump out from under the covers and began to chase Ally, who ran as fast as her relatively short legs allowed her to. She was thankful for the short head start she had, as Austin needed to put on pants before he was ready for the race. You see, chases weren't a new thing in their relationship. At least once a day, either of them – it was usually Ally - teased the other enough to start a pursuit through the apartment, resulting in lots of kisses, tickles, and giggles. It was a good system.

Now, after you've been in that situation a few times, you start to develop a pattern, especially if the chaser is about twice your size. What Ally often does, is just giving up and lowering herself on the floor before curling in a ball and accepting the consequences that she really didn't mind. Not today, though, she thought, as she spots the first object low enough for her to stand on and climbs on.

That's how Austin finds her; in the middle of his cooking island, in one of his white shirts, her knees drawn up and a guilty giggle muffled by her sleeve-covered-hands. He can't help the snicker escaping his mouth as he shakes his head while approaching her. After a long stare down, Austin has enough. In a quick movement, he grabs her ankles and pulls her towards him. Ally releases a quick yelp before her chest collapses with his.

"Always climbing on top of things," Austin whispers against her lips as they form a smirk, resting his hands on the cold ceramic, on either side of their hips.

Ally throws her arms around his neck. "You didn't seem to mind last night."

"You are unbelievable." Squeezes her hips one more time after she shoots him a naughty wink.

"Try to keep up with me, babe." Pushing his shoulders, she frees herself from his enclosure and hops off the island. After giving him a quick kiss, she walks straight to the fridge to obey the compelling rumbling of her stomach. She feels Austin's studying eyes on her as she grabs an apple from the fruit bowl on top of it.

"Are you wearing my shirt on purpose?" He asks her, his voice sounding slightly lower and raspier than usual.

"It always looks fun in the movies." Ally turns around with a cocky smile, loving how his eyes roam her from a distance as he leans against the island. "Besides, it's really good for my self-confidence." Finally opening the fridge, she scans its content while taking a bite from the fruit. "Is your fridge always his empty?"

Austin laughs as he walks towards her. "As you're the one who empties it, I think you'd know best." Ally bats her eyelashes innocently in response. "I'll get us some breakfast. How do paninis from _Il Pozzo_ sound?"

Ally raises herself on her tippy toes to press a kiss on his cheek. "You're the best."

* * *

In the time Ally is alone, she gets dressed – though it's fun, she can't parade through her boyfriend's apartment in his clothes forever -, sets the table and takes another look at their outfits for tonight. She hadn't been that excited about her little black dress hanging in the back of her closet, but ever since she noticed how much more special it felt and how much prettier she looked next to Austin's white shirt with a black pattern, she had not been able to stop admiring it. They'd look amazing together tonight.

She was just grabbing some orange juice from the fridge when she hears the house phone ring. After a short mental debate, she decides it would be rather strange to answer it, figuring they weren't really publicly together. So, she just lets it go to voicemail.

"Hey, Austin! It's me, Thomas," an excited voice sounds through the room. Ally remembers a vague memory of Austin telling her about his manager called Thomas, who had been an old friend of him before they started to work together. That must be him. "Our plan didn't work out as well as planned, but the spot in the finale earned you good publicity." Ally freezes, immediately wondering what this so-called plan exactly implies and why Austin hadn't told her.

"I got you a few interviews and appearances, make sure you call me when you get back. Also make sure you thank that lawyer girl if you ever run into her again, Abby, wasn't it? Oh, well, it doesn't really matter anymore, does it?" Thomas snickers, making Ally's breathing get heavier and faster. "You really picked the best girl as a gateway to the finale. I was sincerely impressed by your acting, though."

Her muscles fail when she hears the word 'acting' and the carton in her hand falls to the floor. The orange liquid pours out as Ally's hands start to shake. Never, not one single moment, had it occurred to her that a candidate would create a persona, a character, that would get them far. That a candidate could fake their emotions, could think of exactly what to say when the situation asked for it. That a candidate could use anyone just to win a stupid game. It's as her world crumbles apart in a matter of seconds.

"Just wanted to let you know that training for FINA World Aquatics Championships starts in two weeks. Call me once you get this." Ally doesn't even hear the rest. Before emotions get the best of her, she takes a few shaky breaths to calm down, rolls her shoulders back, brushes her hair out of her face, and steps over the large puddle of orange juice that had formed on the tiles without even looking down at it.

With focused eyes, she enters the bedroom. It's like she has entered a new body, a new mindset. An attitude she only let take control when she entered the courtroom, solely because she knew it got rid of the filter that normally would make sure nobody's feelings got hurt. When she was working, that wasn't one of her priorities anymore. She almost was a different person.

Merciless lawyer mode; engaged.

* * *

 **The final chapter is coming up! Stay tuned x**

 **Ps. Thank you for passing 50 reviews! xx**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey y'all!**

 **Welcome to the final (regular) chapter of Just A Game. All questions will be answered in this one. You seemed to really love the twist of last chapter, I'm known for my cliff-hangers, after all, aren't I? Yea, okay, maybe not. But I liked including at least one. Enjoy this particular long chapter. (I could've split it, but where's the fun in that? You guys deserve it)**

 **Oh, before I forget, some exciting news for readers of the Work Things Out series; I've written the rough draft for the first chapter of the triquel. This means there's actually something more than just ideas in my mind. I don't know if this will actually be my next project (either this one or the cruise crime thriller), but something is happening, I can assure you. Just giving you a heads up.**

* * *

Ally knew she had made a mistake once she opened her twitter mentions. All her fans had tweeted her in the past few days, were photos of her and Austin. Her and Austin shoving frozen yoghurt in each other's faces. Her and Austin walking side by side, fingers accidently intertwining every once in a while. Her and Austin denying all statements of a platonic relationship by being captured as they're pressed up against each other.

"Fucking prick," Ally scoffs, stuffing her phone in her bag in an angry movement. The kitchen was a mess; the orange juice still painted the tiles, a few pieces of cutlery had been swept off the table and some books had fallen off a shelf when she had let herself break out of her calm trance for just a second. She only has a few seconds to gather her thoughts when she hears Austin's footsteps. She's holding the house phone in her sweaty palms.

Both his smile and his hands holding the paninis up proudly, fall when he spots her stone cold eyes. That's when his eyes fall on the disastrous kitchen as well. "What happened in here?"

"What was the plan, Austin?" The corner of her mouth twitches once a flash of fear spreads across his face, the knowledge that she said the correct thing always giving her a thrill. This wasn't a confrontation with her boyfriend anymore. This was a courtroom case. "Was I the plan?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." He had wiped the recognition of her accusation off as soon as he noticed and was now bringing the food to the kitchen, stepping over the puddle with wilful ignorance. Something about his seemingly uncaring attitude makes something in her head snap.

"Bullshit!" She breaks out of her act and throws the house phone on the ground to add power to her statement. Austin turns around in shock at the sound. "What did your manager tell you to do? Tell me!" She yells.

Austin keeps his eyes on the ground for a while. Ally doesn't show mercy, though, and, soon enough, he starts talking. "Since the show is mostly based on the input of the viewers, Thomas decided I should try to find a girl and create this love story."

A laugh escapes Ally's lips. "A fabricated love story." With her hands in her hair, she tries to stop an approaching headache as this situation threatens to drive her insane. Everything he had said to her, done to her on the island starts to make sense. "It's crystal clear now."

"Ally, I never agreed to it!" Austin hurries to her, the distance tending to only make the fight worse. "I didn't want anything to do with it, alright?"

"That's funny since it's exactly what you managed to drag me into." She walks right past him without even lifting her eyes.

"Are you not hearing me? You were never even supposed to hear about this." He squeezes his eyes shut as the sentence falls from his mouth and quickly keeps talking before Ally can react. "I told Thomas I wasn't going along with it. Do you believe him over me?"

Ally releases a frustrated sigh. "How do you expect me to trust you after this, Austin?"

"Look," he starts, running a hand through his hair," I had the intention to stay on my own during the game. I really had. But then you," gesturing to her vaguely, he tries to make it better, but fails horribly, "happened."

"I," she mocks his gesture without shame, "happened? Do I need to remind you that _you_ were the one to approach _me_?"

"I know this doesn't sound right, but Thomas did manage to convince me that having an alley would help me. I could see you had potential while others couldn't," he starts to explain, finally starting to make sense. Ally notices she starts to listen more attentively now. As he sits down on the edge of the couch, thinking back to their time on the island, she can only stare. "After a while, I started to fall for you and that wasn't part of the plan." Ally had almost started to believe him, but the last part wakes her up.

"You're saying I messed up your plan," she repeats in disbelief. "An inconvenience? Is that all I was to you? Part of a stupid plan, just a pawn in your game?" She raises her voice again just as Austin shakes his head wordlessly. "Well, I'm done playing."

Austin seems to be begging right now, taking her hand in between his. "I wasn't honest with you and I'm sorry about that, but I love you. I do."

Ally looks at him for a moment, remembering every moment she shared with him these last two months. The moment they met, when they made their pact, their bonding over the tests, the moment at the campfire, their night at the cabin, the finale, and everything in between. She looks him in the eyes one more time before she makes her decision.

"Fuck off, Austin," she sighs, grabbing her handbag. She doesn't look back before shutting the door. "I don't care whether in the end, your priority was the title or me, but, either way, you lost both and you owe it all to yourself."

* * *

The fact that Ally had spent an extra hour on her make-up and hair didn't mean anything. She surely wasn't trying to convince anyone she was fine without Austin, better even. Why would she? She had never, in her whole life, had felt any urge to dress up for a guy. Why would she? And she was definitely not trying to look smoking hot in order to remind him wat he had lost. Why would she?

But, frankly, she was doing all those things. And it felt good, just this one time. A month earlier, she had shot herself in the foot before making herself pretty with a purpose to get anyone's attention, but now; she had never felt better. She felt like a freaking princess, no, better even; a queen. A queen on her way to the coronation, about to be slaying anyone who would get in her way.

She shouldn't be feeling so ruthless, she realizes, so she fixes her attitude. There was nothing wrong with a fierce queen, as long as it doesn't make her look like the evil stepmother.

As she steps in the building, she notices she's late, or the others are simply early. While making her way to the bar to get a drink, she's being stopped by a number of other candidates. The small talk mainly consists of congratulating her on her spot in the finale - not even the other candidates had been notified of her win - and asking how she had been, while Ally was desperately trying to remember the names of the people. She tries her best in order not to come off rude, but most of them had been part of the other team and she had only seen them during the short tests.

After finally getting her hands on a glass of white wine, she's about to make her way to the seat that she had yet to find, she bumps into to figures she knew all too well.

"Congratulations on the win," Rachel shows a smile Ally hadn't seen in forever, a genuine, lovely one. Ally is at a loss for words, eying Rachel and Drew, who had approached her, too.

"Thanks, I guess," she says eventually, not knowing how to respond to this slightly awkward situation.

Rachel and Drew exchange a careful glance. "Look," Drew starts, "I know you must hate our guts. We weren't exactly the fairest players." He actually looks nervous and regretful as he touches the back of his neck.

"We were jerks," Rachel adds.

"We were just hoping you could forgive us. I mean, you have no reason to, but you should know that we regret everything we've done to you on that island."

After taking a second to study them, their apologies sounding actually genuine, she smiles. "Of course." The relief is clear as they hug her tightly. "It was just a game, right?"

"Thank you so much, Ally. You look amazing, by the way." Drew smiles before saying goodbye. "We'll see you later." Rachel is about to walk with him, but stops herself and turns around to face Ally again.

"Oh, congratulations on your relationship with Austin, by the way. I'm glad it worked out in the end, forget what I said at the island selection and the finale," she tells her. "You two look really happy together."

"Thanks," Ally replies. For a second she considers just letting it go, but a certain power of the friendship they were starting to regain changes her mind. She sighs before wiping the fake happy smile from her face. "Though, I guess it wasn't meant to last."

"Are you serious?" Rachel looks honestly shocked. "What happened?"

Ally diverts her eyes, trying to find a way to summarise everything that went wrong in a single sentence. "Things on the island turned out to be different on land." She shrugs. "I don't think he really meant anything he ever said to me."

"I highly doubt that," Rachel snickers, making Ally's eyes snap back to her. "No offence, Ally, but your usually perfect intuition is all wrong. That guy was crazy about you! He still is, probably."

Ally hadn't talked about Austin like this in a while, and it affected her more than she thought it would. It's like the subject has two sides, anger and sadness, and she is right in the middle of the two. She had no idea where this conversation would lead her.

"He told me something last night." She takes a deep breath to keep herself exactly on the line, the sweet, sweet no-man's-land of emotional detachment. "Let's just say your actions weren't half as malicious compared to his, no offence."

Rachel looks to her right, something she had done often during their conversation, before shooting Ally a warm smile. "I'm sorry, Ally, but I don't think you're right. Partly because I've seen him fall for you over and over again on that island." She takes a sip of her water. "And partly because he hasn't been able to keep his eyes off of you since you came in." Rachel walks off, after winking at Ally, in the direction she had been staring at. As Ally watches her in confusion before catching another pair of eyes.

Austin had been sat in his assigned spot since he had entered the building and his eyes hadn't left Ally the whole time. Times seems to stand still once Ally meets his gaze. When she's finally able to tear her eyes away, she notices she hadn't taken a breath the whole time. After consciously plucking at the fabric of her suddenly rather tight looking dress, she decides to find her seat as well, not even remotely looking in Austin's direction.

* * *

It turned out her assigned seat was right next to Austin's. It wasn't the biggest surprise of the day, figuring they would have been attending the final episode recording together until six hours before it started. With a single look, Ally had made it clear to Rachel that she would do anything to trade spots with her, resulting in Rachel sitting between them. Luckily, Rachel hadn't minded at all and neither Austin or the producers had commented on it.

One big table was placed in the middle of the hall, the show host sitting at the head. The candidates that were discussed, usually in groups of four, got to sit with him as the rest took place on chairs on the side. It was just as boring for the other candidates as you'd expect it is. A few dozen devoted fans who had either won tickets or had stood in line for days were also present, sitting right behind the candidates.

This last episode was all about looking back at the game and talking to the candidates, sharing thoughts and never seen before scenes. They'd start with the candidate who got outvoted first and make their way up, successfully building tension towards the climax that was the end of the finale. Meanwhile, Ally listened to the stories, sipped her wine and found herself drifting off once in a while. But, whatever she did, she couldn't fool herself to ignore Austin's eyes who studied her every now and then.

And, just like that, a commercial break got introduced and the four finalists got guided to their seats around the round table for the final, most important talk of the episode. They all get a makeup touch-up and, before Ally knows it, the producers are counting down again and she's facing Austin on the other side of the table.

"The people who have just joined me are the final four of this year's expedition. Now, I think everyone can agree that this season had some of our most interesting candidates yet," the hosts speaks, looking around. "Friendships, pacts, trust, deceit, love; this season seemed to have it all." Ally has to fight the urge to roll her eyes at this painfully obvious message directed at her and Austin before she reminds herself that they were still together, as far as everyone knew.

"We learned some things," he continues. "Pacts are great, until they get in each other's ways. It is possible to learn how to dive like a pro in one afternoon. And there is always more to the story than you think." After this speech, the host turns to Ally and she feels all cameras pointing her direction. "Ally, from all candidates, I think you might've been the crowd's favourite. What do you think sparked that?"

She shakes all the nerves and puts on a bright smile. "Honestly, I'm not even sure. I think my inability to perform any basic tasks was way more relatable than any hotshots fishing with their bare hands," she chuckles, loving how she is able to talk freely again after having to mind her words in the game constantly.

The host laughs along with the audience. "You're saying that, but your memory was quite impressive, a skill you got to show off at the merge test, which you also won. How did that feel?"

"Pretty amazing, I must say." Ally nods proudly.

"That win brought you in a difficult position, though, as you had to choose between your two allies." As she keeps her eyes on the host, she avoids those of the two mentioned. "How did you eventually make that decision?"

"I reckon I managed to compare the options I had and figured out which would bring me the farthest," she answers, not granting the cameras any shift of emotion in her eyes.

"Oh, I bet some other factors played their part, don't you agree?" He raises his eyebrows suggestively, but when Ally keeps staring at him without a change of expression, he quickly moves on. "Anyway," he looks at Rachel, "Rachel, that was the moment Ally broke your pact. Needless to say, you weren't happy about it."

Rachel nods calmly. "You could put it like that. I was pissed, but now I see how horrible I acted," she admits, shooting another apologetic glance at Ally, who smiles back. "The game makes you do stupid things.

"Are there any hard feelings?" He keeps asking like this was what the whole world was dying to know.

"No, we talked it out," Ally cuts in. "Our drive to win should've never made us forget our friendship."

After this, the conversation focussed on Drew for a quick moment, talking about the pacts he had made. Honestly, Ally hadn't paid attention to whatever Drew had been up to, so to hear that he had been working together with a large number of candidates surprises her. But then again, it had showed that he would convince anyone to work with him to stay in the competition.

"Now, we move onto the last finalist. Austin," the host speaks, "you were a promising candidate from the very beginning. What nobody expected, was that you felt comfortable enough to share everything you went through on the island with us. We're very grateful for that, because it has given us a great image of what it was like to be stuck there. Let's take a look at your most memorable moments."

It hadn't been a secret that Austin was the one who used the diary hut most. The diary hut was the place where you could talk to the camera without the danger of anyone overhearing. The hut was just a covered bench somewhere on the side of the island, isolated from the camp, from the others, and from the game. It gave you an opportunity to let out the thoughts that were threatened to drive you insane, like writing it down in a diary, hence the name. If you were looking for Austin, fair chance that he was in the hut.

The big television screen hanging behind the host lit up, showing Austin sitting in the hut. By the look of his still healthy looking body, it was a recording from one of the first few days in the game. Soon enough, 'Day one' appears in the bottom corner.

"First day on the island," Austin starts, an energetic smile shown on his face. "I don't really have a strategy, except maybe find someone I can trust enough to form alliances with." He smirks. "Not that I need it."

"Now that we're divided, it's much easier to see who has the same mindset as I do, that might help." Scratching his slight stubble, he stares off in the distance. "The test was interesting. A few caught my attention. Like that Ally girl," nodding to himself, he looks at the camera again. "Smart, quick; she has real potential. She's quite something."

Ally is fairly certain the cameras are recording her reaction on the diary entry and she tries her best not to show the tickle in her stomach that it had caused. The next entry pops up, day 13, apparently. It was safe to say that they only showed the diary entries that they found interesting enough, or, in this case, that had something to do with his alliance with Ally. It was never seen before material to Ally. The viewers had seen them all, though, in the episodes that had aired.

"It's been quite a few days since the start of my brand new alliance and I have to admit, I'm liking it so far." Austin snickers softly. "Who knew the tiny stiff had some humour as well. She keeps surprising me in new ways," he stays silent for a few seconds, the humoured spark in his eyes making place for a sad glimmer. "Reminds me of my little one." It was quite clear to anyone who had been following the show that he was talking about his daughter, Ariella. The two weeks apart from her were already starting to take its toll.

The screen fades again before showing Austin, looking just slightly worse than before. His hair is a mess, he's a bit paler, and ribs were starting to show. The look in his eyes is wild, overwhelmed, like he was still trying to wrap his head around something that had just happened.

"That was really something. If it hadn't been for Ally," he shakes his head in disbelief. "I'd be gone. I still can't believe she chose me over Rachel." Shrugging, he messes up his hair even more. "I mean, I hoped, but I'd never imagined she'd actually..." He's lost for words for a moment. "Care about me enough."

There's a fade sound of beaming fans in the back of the room, too soft to get picked up by the audio equipment, but clear enough for Ally and the other candidates to hear. She can't really blame them, but still feels like all the eyes in the room are pointed her way and there's a certain expectation of her to react in some sort of way. But she doesn't.

"I'm officially sick," Austin starts with a weak voice. Day 18. "I promised myself I wouldn't do this, but, Ariella, if you're watching this; I miss you baby." He sniffles softly before wiping away an escaped tear. "You told me you believed in me and I'm doing my best for you. But a part of me wants to go home to see you again. I hope you can understand," he begs, pulling his legs up to lean his head on his knees. "But I'll stay strong. For you."

The beaming is louder now and Ally can't help but sneak a glance at Austin, who is staring at his hands on the table. He shows that he's frantically trying to blink away the tears that well up with the memories of that time. She quickly diverts her eyes again, unable to watch him in pain. Another clip starts.

"Tonight," Austin laughs shyly. "God, tonight was..." He's unable to finish his sentence, a huge smile plastered on his face. The sad expression from the other day had faded away and he was glowing. Ally knows which night he was talking about. Day 20, the day of the feast, or the day they watched Ariella's message before getting tipsy together and getting closer than ever before to admitting their attraction towards each other. "I know this isn't the best time to catch feelings, but, man, I don't think I can shake this off." His bubbly smile is interrupted by a sneeze. "Fuck, I'm mess. Emotionally and physically.

The soft smile had crept on Ally's lips before she had been able to stop it and not only she had noticed. The audience had seen it, the host had seen it, the cameras had seen it, but worst of all; Austin had seen it. She had shown her vulnerability, something she had sworn not to do tonight. But something about his genuine emotions had called up some butterflies of her own. It wasn't much, the clip, but it had shown something Rachel had tried to make clear earlier; Austin had really fallen for her that night. She doesn't have much more time to evaluate the video any further, as the next already starts.

There's nothing left of the sensitive, giggly Austin. This one is furious. "This morning, one of the other candidates decided to fill me in. I can't believe I've been lied to for so long. And to think I actually felt..." He purses his lips, looking away. "Now that I know the truth, I know who I can trust." With piercing eyes, he stares at the camera again, his jaw tightened. "And who I cannot." The screen fades to black and the host turns around to face Austin again.

"What we see here is pure hatred. I should mention that this particular clip had a big impact on the fans," he speaks. "Can you describe what went though your mind when Drew told you about Ally's history involving you?"

It hadn't occurred to Ally that, with Austin, the viewers had also found out about Ally's secret. Many people had judged her, probably, and she couldn't blame them. Shame washes over her as she sinks back into her seat involuntarily. Funnily enough, Austin seems to feel the same way as the host asks him that question.

"I cannot," he replies, keeping his head high. All of a sudden, he seems to be avoiding looking at Ally at all costs. "We both made some stupid mistakes, said some stupid things, kept some secrets. But I think it's important to know when you need to apologize." This was directed at Ally, she knew for sure, yet he did not look her way once, while she couldn't peel her eyes off of him. "And when someone has hidden something from the other that is obviously hurtful, they need to do everything they can to make the other person know they're loved."

Finally, Austin looks her in the eyes. "And let them know you've been a mess without her." There's a moment of silence that painfully echoes through the hall before the host coughs to break it.

"Wow, dating 101 by Austin Moon, everyone," he laughs obliviously. "Now, without further ado, the moment everyone has been waiting for. The finale of Expedition Robinson 2016."

As the clip of the finale starts to play, Ally is still looking at Austin, jaw dropped. When Rachel clears her throat softly, she wakes up and meets Rachel's cheeky grin before she nods to the screen. Ally follows her hint and turns her attention to the video. From the corner of her eye, she sees a proud grin appear on Austin's face as she lights the fire and, soon enough, the video ends, along with the game.

"Congratulations to Ally Dawson, Robinson of 2016!" The host yells and confetti starts to fall down. People cheer all around her and before she knows, she's being hugged and congratulated by the other candidates. It's a bit overwhelming to Ally, who smiles thankfully and receives the nice words politely. Only minutes later, she has time to look around and notices Austin's seat is empty. Standing on her toes, she scans the room for his recognizable dirty blonde hair.

"Congrats, Ally." She spins around as fast as she an to be met with his chest in the black suit they had picked out together.

"Thanks, prick," she smiles jokingly. "Impressive speech just then."

"Yeah, speaking of; I'm sorry for putting you on the spot like that." Austin runs a hand through his hair nervously. "No filter when I'm desperate, I reckon."

"If that's all it takes to speak the truth, I'd advice you to delete that filter for once and for all," Ally snickers playfully.

"You're right." He grins relieved, stepping closer to her.

"You said just the right things, though. I missed you, too." She adds, turning more serious. "And I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have reacted that quickly."

"Our relationship might've been based on an alliance, but it's so much more to me. I hope you know that."

Ally nods quickly before biting her lip. "You said you loved me."

"I did," he responds proudly.

"No lies?" Ally asks.

"No lies. No more."

"Is that a promise, prick?" She looks at him with a joking doubtful expression.

"One I'm keen on keeping, princess," Austin brushes a lock behind her ear lovingly.

"Same here." By putting her hands on his chest, she lifts herself up to capture his lips softly. Her fingers follow the buttons on his shirt to the collar, eventually ending up behind his neck while Austin traces her jaw with a feathery touch. Their smiles break the kiss, but they don't care, because they know there will be more to follow.

"I love you, too, by the way." Ally turns playfully serious. "Just in case that didn't make it clear.

"Oh, yeah, thanks for that clarification." he plays along before leaning down to hug her tightly. Looking over Ally's shoulder, he sees a girl with red curls and his hazel eyes looking their way excitedly. After gesturing for her to come over, she happily skips their way, small curls bouncing lively.

* * *

 **I hope it was clear who the girl was in the end and what was happening. If it wasn't, I'll have to awkwardly explain it later.**

jcarter692 chapter 9

You're welcome, thanks for reading my review! Yes, it hurt for a while & I had to back away from the friendship too. Just focusing on myself helped me to move on. Time can actually heal wounds and we're really good friends now. I hope taking time away does the same for you. :)  
I loved this chapter, it was so epic watching how far Austin & Ally have come! They make such an amazing team, I forgot they were supposed to be competing against each other. I love that she wanted to wait for him & wanted to finish together. I really love that he encouraged her to finish without him. Awesome writing! **\- Aw, that sounds amazing! You're incredibly strong for choosing for yourself to be happy like that. Thank you! I was really trying to make clear that Ally had never realized she eventually would have to play for herself. Hope you enjoyed these last two as well!**

letmetakeyourpicturebaby chapter 10

YES BADASS ALLY IS ABOUT TO GET IN HERE

i loveeee this omg I actually CANNOT wait! but I'm not going to be that person who only says "update!" all the time so I should probably give you like some real feedback?

I love everything you've done with this story, how there's that perfect balance of romance and adventure and it all just works together so well! Also you describe things in so much detail that I can actually almost feel the emotions they feel? (that sounds kinda weird) but yeah! loving it! **\- Ahahaha, don't worry, there aren't many reviewers who do that. Thanks! This really the first story where I have had to do serious research on a subject and placed the characters in a scene that is so different from the regular world. I loved it, though, it was a surprisingly awesome experience. I'm hoping to do that more in the future. Oh my god, thank you so much. That's really one of the things I find most important. I'm glad you're enjoying it xx**

ViaNearth11 chapter 10

IN LLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEE with this fanfic! **\- Thank you! I don't think I've ever seen you before in the reviews, nice to see you!**

EverAfterForLife chapter 10

HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME!

WTF THOMAS THE DREAM CRUSHER!

All in all, this was an amazing chapter!

I cant wait for next week and I'm extremely excited for the epilogue!

Thank you so my for this and thank yh for always updating on time!

How can this story only have 50 reviews? **\- IKR :( He's truly a dick. Thanks! Aw, you're thanking me, I should be thanking you for reviewing, that's really special. God, I don't want to sound ungrateful, I do appreciate each and every review and I'm blessed to even have the ability to publish my stories that get attention, but I get what you're saying. Especially comparing it to my other recent stories (ROALT has 600+ idek how that happened) it's quite a difference. I reckon it's because the show has ended and a majority of the fandom has moved on, fanfics are not read as much as they used to (I've stopped reading Auslly myself). It could also be that this type of story doesn't appeal to a lot of readers, which is okay because I loved writing it and you reviewers also seemed to dig it. The number of reviews has never had an impact on the quality or length of my stories and I hope it never will :) Everything I publish, I'm proud of nowadays, regardless of how much attention it gets and that won't change. Thanks again for reading and reviewing!**


	12. Epilogue

**Hello hello! Welcome to the official epilogue of Just A Game, the final piece of material of this story y'all will receive in ever (?). It's just a tiny look into their lives in the future. It's short and cute, I hope. There's really no fluff, rather some cuteness between Austin and his daughter, since you seemed to love her. She deserved another appearance.**

 **I should mention that your reviews for last chapter almost brought me to tears. Honestly, after posting the first chapter, I had the idea I was only writing this story for myself. Nothing wrong with that, but after getting used to a lovely audience of devoted fans, it was something else. So, hearing that some of you have been enjoying this story to great lengths and even calling it one of your favourites, that really warmed my heart. Once more, thank you for reading, following, favouriting and reviewing. You make me happy by doing at least one of those.**

 **I know this story won't reach the milestone of a hundred reviews anymore, but that's okay. Just a single review that's as elaborate as yours is worth a thousand one worded ones.**

* * *

It has been three years since Ally convinced the judge that Amy deserved full custody over Ariella, two years since Austin formally asked Ally to be his girlfriend, and one year since Ariella reached the age that gave her the right to choose who she wanted to live with. Needless to say, a lot has changed over the years.

Ariella had grown into a smart girl, choosing to live with Austin primarily, but visit her mother on the weekends once in a while. They had managed to make up for lost time by spending every minute they were free together, doing things he had missed out on at first, like going to amusements park and fares. But also attending important milestones in Ariella's life, like when she received the Rainbow Distance Award for completing all the stages of swimming. She had been the youngest, by far. It wasn't a surprise that she loved to swim, she was Austin's daughter, after all.

The moment Ally and Ariella met, they had become best friends instantly. Austin didn't know if Ally had taught her how to defend herself verbally or if Ally's personality simply ignited what was already there, but he didn't mind. Whenever a small argument arose, Ariella averted a crisis by defending one of them with a vocabulary and arguing skills far beyond any other eight-year old's reach. It was quite adorable.

With Ally, too, things had been amazing. She had almost permanently moved in with him in a newly bought loft in New York, leaving her suddenly rather small looking apartment abandoned. She would make sure to not plan any cases with clients whenever he had to go abroad for a big championship, so she could join him on the trip and cheer him on. And, of course, whenever she had a big trial, he would be there in the courtroom for mental support.

They were two independent human beings with separate lives that intertwined whenever they allowed them to. 'Dating' and 'practically cohabited' was as serious as they got. Until tonight, however.

It was their anniversary and to say Austin had made an effort for dinner was an understatement. He loved to cook and he was great at it, a trait Ally had appreciated highly once she had discovered it. The beef and tomato puree were boiling in red wine, the vegetables were cooking nicely in the sauce as well, and a delicious smell was filling the loft rapidly. Everything was under control. Austin is just tasting one of the mushrooms when his phone rings.

"Hey, babe! Where are you?" Austin asks, listening to the sounds of New York at night through the phone. Ally had agreed to meet him after work to celebrate their special day.

"I'm getting a taxi now." Her usually chirpy voice sounds rather drained. She pulls the door of the cab closed before giving the driver Austin's address. "I'll be there in 15 if the traffic allows me to."

"Great! So, what do you want to do for dinner?" He snickers softly, walking towards the already perfectly set table in the living room. "We can hit town, see if that sushi place has a table."

"Honestly, Austin, it's been a long day. I think I'd rather stay home tonight, maybe order some takeout," she admits before sighing guiltily. "I'm sorry, I know how you wanted to celebrate our anniversary in town."

"It's alright, Alls. We can go out another time." Faking his slight disappointment, he hides that this had been his plan all along. "I might be able to cook something nice myself, actually," he adds, covering the microphone slightly to shut out the kitchen timer alarm. While jamming the phone between his ear and shoulder, he takes the baguettes out of the oven.

"Thanks, babe, I'll see you in a bit," Ally replies clueless. "Love you."

"Love you, too." After ending the call, Ariella appears in the doorway, wearing her favourite dress. A green one, which makes her look exactly like her favourite Disney princess.

"Is she almost here, daddy?" She whispers like she is afraid Ally would be able to hear here somehow.

"Yes, pumpkin, just a few minutes," Austin tells her, taking her to the dining table before letting her climb on his lap. Ariella blinks a few times as she studies his face.

"You look nervous," she observes.

Austin smiles at her, twirling one of her curls around his finger. "I am."

The girl cocks her head in confusion. "Why?" She asks like it's the most obvious question in the world. "She loves you, doesn't she?" Austin nods happily in which she shrugs. "And you love her. I don't see how it could go wrong."

Hugging her closely, he presses a kiss on her hair while snickering softly. "That's quite the waterproof theory you got there." Ariella sits still, playing with the hem of her dress contently as Austin looks at her in deep thought. "Hey, pumpkin," he speaks after some time, making her big green eyes point in his direction. "Things will change after tonight. Do you know what me marrying Ally means?"

"It means you kiss a lot," she says innocently after thinking for a few seconds, making Austin giggle.

"That's one thing." He turns serious. "But it also means you will be seeing Ally a lot more from now on."

Ariella nods, seeming to be in deep thought about that scenario as Austin awaits her response nervously. "I like seeing Ally." She eventually shrugs.

"I'm glad you do, pumpkin." He releases a relieved breath, tapping her nose playfully.

"Does this mean I should start calling Ally 'mommy'?" Ariella speaks all of a sudden in which Austin's eyes widen in surprise.

"You don't have to, sweetheart," he assures her. "But you can, if you want to. I'm sure she would like that."

"She kind of _is_ my mommy," the redhead thinks out loud before looking at her dad for confirmation. "Right?

"Yes, of course." Smiling proudly in return, he pulls her even closer. "If you want her to be."

"Can I see the ring one more time?" The girl moves onto a new subject in a way only an eight-year-old can, making Austin laugh softly before revealing the black, velvet box for the umpteenth time. The shiny diamond make Ariella's eyes sparkle as she observes the tiny object once more. "Pretty," she beams.

Taking the ring out of the box, he holds his daughter's hand and slips it around her thumb, as that is the only finger that the ring remotely fits around. "It looks good on you."

"Can I have one, too?" Her begging eyes look at him.

"Of course!" He promises. "We'll get you one that matches your dress."

Ariella is about to answer when her sharp ears pick up the sound of an arriving elevator.

"Daddy, I think I can hear her!" She whispers excitedly and Austin's heart skips a beat.

"Let's go to the kitchen," he whispers hurriedly, taking Ariella's hand. Crouching down in front of her after taking a quick look at the food, he gives her a knowing look. "You remember what we planned, right?"

Ariella nods proudly. "I stay in the kitchen until she notices the third plate. That's my cue to come out. Then, while telling me how pretty I look, you kneel down and do the 'ring thing'."

"That's it." As he presses a kiss on her forehead, the front door opens and the recognisable sound of Ally's high heeled boots stomping on the doormat to get rid of the snow plastered to the sole echoes through the loft.

"Austin, it's me!" She lets him know as if it wasn't obvious before, and Austin's breath speeds up. Ariella touches his hand shortly to calm him down. "Are you in the kitchen?"

"Yeah, dinner's almost ready." He keeps his answer short to limit the chance of her catching the trembling in his voice. Ally throws her coat and scarf over the back of the couch, as she always does.

"Wow, it smells amazing," she sighs, fixing her hair in the mirror next to the bookcase, supposedly. "What are you making?"

"N-nothing special, really." Unable to prevent the short stutter, he curses himself and prays she didn't pick up on it. She didn't, he presumes, as she giggles carelessly.

"I've seen your 'nothing special'. That's like Michelin star quality!" Her pacing comes to a stop suddenly and Austin thanks god she didn't decide to enter the kitchen and ruin the plan she didn't even know existed before it could properly start. "Damn, the dinner table looks great, you really went all out. Oh, champagne!"

Austin's smile widens as she's silently appreciating the effort he made to get her favourite brand. From what he's hearing, she hadn't paid attention to the number of plates just yet, so the plan was still in full motion. Looking down, he sees Ariella glowing with excitement. "Ready?" She nods with the biggest grin, making Austin wonder who was looking forward to this more. Sliding the velvet box in the pocket of his dress pants, he takes a few deep breaths while fixing the collar of his shirt.

"Game on."

* * *

 **See what I did with the 'game' thing? Game on, Just A Game. Huh, huh? I'm hilarious.**

 **I'll see you guys later when I've built up enough courage to create another big project. Have a nice day, everyone. (I've had a pretty rough day, failing my first university exam and all, so I decided to answer more reviews than usual. Yay :))**

 **Also, there's a kind of competition for best novel written by students and I think I might participate with one of my fanfics. It needs to be over 50,000 words, so my options are limited, but College Works Out might work. I think it's annual, so I hope to have completed either my cruise thriller or the third part of the Work Things Out series. I'm planning on working on them for a long time to make them perfect and more mature, so look forward to that!**

 **10 points for guessing that Disney princess**

jcarter692 chapter 11

Thank you, that means alot! :)  
Yes, I loved these last two chapters! So happy Auslly got back together! My fav part was his daughter running up to them! I was happy that Ally will get to meet her & see Austin interact with her in person. Their all so adorable!  
I really loved Austin's memorable moments flashback & his speech. Both nearly brought me to tears, your writing is so amazing! I love that you don't base your story quality or length on the number of reviews. It makes the story so much better when you're happy with what you're writing. And its incredible that you take time to do research, I could totally see you being a professional author. Thanks for such an awesome story, can't wait for the epilogue! :) **\- Yay, glad you got that :) Aw, thanks! I found it fun to write those, it was like I was looking back at the moments I wrote the past chapters. Ah, it's only fair that I don't care so much about reviews. I once followed a story that the author decided to discontinue after not receiving enough reviews for her preference. Apparently, she thought the number of reviews was too low in comparison to the number of readers. I remember how disgusted I was. Ever since, a part of me feels repulsed whenever writers talk about reviews like they are a necessity instead of amazing people who take the time to voice their opinion after taking times out of their lives to read something you wrote.**  
 **Anyway, thank you so much for you continuously caring reviews, they really do inspire me to push my limits and become a better write to provide better stories and continue to entertain you in ways that not only amaze readers but also myself. Becoming a young adult novel writer has always been one of my dreams and every time I produce a story I find successful; I find myself becoming more confident in perhaps pursuing that dream. I hope to see you again soon!**

Guest 02 chapter 11

You are an amazing writer! Awesome fanfic! Can not wait till the next update! Hope you have a wonderful week! :) **– Thank you, sweet guest! Same to you!**

ViaNearth11 chapter 11

I again LOVED IT! And I was the one who suggested the name Ariella! Remember me? And is there gonna be an epilogue, cause I would love one! **– THANKS! Oh, god, I'm so sorry! I've never been good with names… That suggestion inspired me a lot and improved this story, so thanks again :)**

HOAlove4Ever chapter 11

Loved. Every. Second. Of. This. Story.  
You're an amazing writer, one of the best stories i've ever read! **– Aaaaah, thank you! If you liked this one, you might want to give my other stories a shot. I reckon you'll dig them!**

Guest chapter 11

ALWAYS MAKES ME SO HAPPY WHEN I SEE ITS BREN UPDATED **– YOU'RE A DOLL!**

EverAfterForLife chapter 11

I AM SOOOO HAPPY WITH HOW YOU WROTE THIS CHAPTER!  
Omg, Ally and Rachel are good and thats so amazing and Ausally is still Ali and everything is okay!  
I CAN NOT WAIT FOR THE EPILOGUE!  
I really hope Austin gets his daughter back!  
OMG, THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT IN THIS STORY IS SO AMAZING!  
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HOW YOU WROTE THIS ENTIRE STORY AND I LOVE THIS TWISTS AND TURNS!  
Thanks so much for this chapter and for your commitment to this story!  
I can't wait to read what you write next! **– Yess, I'm glad I got to end this story with all characters being on good terms. Wow, character development? That's something only novel writers can portray, but I'm really working on learning how to create that as well. Thank you for your commitment to continuing to read. See you in the future.**


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